In space, terms like up, down have no meaning. They are only in reference to gravity. In space not only is something like time of day and night irrelevant but so are directions and space. The center of space is ever present. You are as ever close to the center of the universe anywhere you are. It is equally everywhere at all times.
We get to the end of Jesus earthly ministry but its also the beginning, where he came from but also, it’s the purpose and intention of everything. If you truly wish to know someone you can’t get there simply by look them at their face. Rather, you must stand shoulder to shoulder with them and see where they are gazing, where are they going. Jesus’s eyes have always been on heaven as where he wanted us, not just to return but to bring us. Jesus ascends with his human body for two reasons: one to present the offering to his father, two to show where we belong. Truly shows he is not of this world. Now we only experience Jesus from heaven to show that no longer he is of this world and not to make that confusion.
Heaven at times is hard to imagine, because we are so use to dealing with imperfections and even our own brokenness.So the only thing we can do at times is to image the lack of our faults but still not a positive overarching reality, a greater reality. Heaven can be related to and ‘reach’ wherever we are. Bishop Barron talks about a cube and a square are related because it can contain an infinite number of squares. Jesus body, the body of the Son reaching the Father is not able to contain us, our welcome home and embrace of the Father.
The Ascension. 80 days ago we heard “you are dust and to dust you shall return” that same nature was taken to heaven. Jesus shows the end of his life, and now human life is life in heaven. This is the final act of man, and his greatest goal: life in heaven. This identity has radically changed everything. Heaven is now a radical player in our lives, an intricate part of it all.
They ask Jesus if he is going to restore the kingdom to Isreal and he answers by going to heaven. This is the true kingdom.
Hence, heaven is still ‘above’ in the sense that it is higher than our personal hopes and desires. It is above but can and should also permeat our lives and everything here and now.
This is why the proclamation of the kingdom is so tied with the ascension. First because as limitless as heaven is so too is the proclamation to be. Also, the proclamation gives us the hope, the first installment of heaven for us. “Wow this is what heaven will be like!”- Servant of God Charlene Richard. Seeing heaven everywhere
In baptism as the water pours on us, it washes us but also raises our gaze. We are in baptism incorporated into the body of Jesus and thus some of the glory of that resurrection.