This week I finally made it to heaven.

“Bicycle Heaven,” that is, the part-museum, part-bicycle shop on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. Bicycle Heaven is featured in the new book, 100 Things To Do In Pittsburgh Before You Die, by Beth Geisler. With all the references to heaven and dying, I figured that I better check it out. I am a minister after all.

Oh my. If you love bikes, my guess is you will think you died and went to heaven. Walking in the door you’re met with hundreds of bikes, old and new, covering the floor, walls, and ceiling. That’s just a sample of what’s ahead. There are thousands and thousands of bikes, memorabilia of all kinds, plus mountains of bike parts and tires, all lovingly maintained and displayed. It’s overwhelming. The word that kept going through my head was “passion.” The person who made this happen had to have a passion for bikes and wanted to share it with others.

Isn’t it interesting how we speak in ultimate terms when we talk about our passion?

The thing is, followers of Jesus Christ don’t need bucket lists. The joy we experience in our favorite places here is simply a taste of the new life God has in store for us. We have an eternity to live our passions, and it begins here and now.

It seems to me the fact that people love to talk about bucket lists suggests there’s an enormous longing out there. It’s up to us in the church to be so different that people will look at us and say “I want that.” I want that peace, that contentment, that passion for caring for others. It’s up to us to show the new life that’s only available through the incarnate God of the Universe, and to give folks a glimpse of heaven on earth.