I'm looking for comments and discussions from people who are familiar with the book. I was made aware of it in a Facebook conversation; two weeks later I received the book in the mail. Once I got down to reading it seriously I finished it in a few days (extremely unusual for me.)

The author is a Wesleyan minister whose almost 4yr old son entered Heaven while on the operating table. His spirituality is a bit different but we have common Christian ties through Holy Scripture and since very few theologians (the Apostles John and Paul) have seen Heaven the subject seems open to contemplative discussion without being contrary to the Faith.

One of the many interesting topics was mentioned in the Epilogue--Did Colton see Mary, the Mother of Jesus? "The answer is yes; he saw Mary kneeling before the throne of God and at other times, standing bedside Jesus. 'She still loves Him like a Mom.'"

I am very skeptical of any of these "life after life" or "near death experience" genre.

None of these authors (or those they quote)really, truly died.

There are only two people in the history of the world who have truly died and who have been truly raised. Lazarus of Bethany has said nothing....at least, nothing that John the Evangelist recorded.

And Our Lord has said "I go to prepare a place for you."

That should be enough.

Hello Thomas,



Certainly that is enough for believers; but there are literally millions of Americans who have not heard the Good News. And there are millions more who are social Christians. God put each of His creatures on earth for a purpose. Should Colton Burpo's experience bring others to believe then I say "Rejoice!"

Actually there are possibly thousands or even more who have a "died" perhaps or perhaps not they had an awareness of life after death. The Gospel mentions the widow's son, Eutychus, the man who fell from the window when Paul was preaching, and Peter's healing of Tabitha.

Eastern Christians believe that with God there is no sense of time; everything in creation is happening before God; thus our troparia state "Today,...." Christ IS risen. I was somewhat taken aback when the Weslyan minister, Colton's dad was surprised when Colton spoke of Colton's grandfather appearing young and that there was awareness of future events. The father, Rev Todd Burpo thought of time in Heaven as being linear, as in the physical world.

Except for the statements that there were animals in Heaven, it fell pretty much in line with Eastern thought, which is grounded in Scripture, especially Daniel and Revelation.

The words of St Paul, speaking about his heavenly experience, is good advice for us, I know that this man—whether in his body or outside of his body, I do not know, but God knows—
was snatched away to Paradise and heard things that cannot be expressed in words, things that no human being has a right even to mention.
2Co 12:3-4

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I thought the thing about animals was odd too. As its not just Eastern thought but both Eastern and Western. I do believe it was St.Thomas Aquinas who laid down the foundation of this thought... that animals and flowers alike have souls. But their souls are not immortal but mortal, thus when they die their soul dies too.

Wheely