Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

Yesterday, one of my students came to me at the end of the day with a very strange question: 

Alicia:             “Mr. Lin, is there any where that you want to go that you need directions to?"

Mr. Lin:         “Hmm… not that I can think of.”

Alicia:             “Come ON, Mr. Lin!  There has to be somewhere you want to know the directions to!”

She sure was persistent!  I decided to indulge her:

Mr. Lin:         “OK Alicia, how about Heaven.  Can you tell me how to get there?”

There was absolutely no hesitation in her reply.  Apparently, Alicia knew very well how to get to Heaven.

Alicia:             “First, you close your eyes.  Then, spin around 5 times.  Next, hit the imaginary piñata and run straight through the imaginary candy.  Then you will meet a llama named Bob.  Give Bob an apple and $5.  Bob will give you a ride on his back to Hogwarts Academy and $20.  Once you are at Hogwarts, Acadamy, use the $20 Bob gave you to get on Hogwarts Express.  Go to compartment 5 where you will meet Ke$ha.  Ke$ha will give you a map leading to a year long journey to the Bulgarian countryside.  Once you are there, turn to your right, and there will be Heaven.”

Mr. Lin:         “Wait… what??” 

Alicia proceeded to repeat the exact same directions, verbatim.

Mr. Lin:         “Okaaay…”

She wasn’t done yet.

Alicia:             “Now ask me how to get to Sesame Street.”

            This ought to be good…

Mr. Lin:         “Fine.  How do you get to Sesame Street?”

Alicia:             “Same thing as Heaven, except you turn left.”

            Alicia proceeded to skip away, happy as a clam.  I, like you undoubtedly are, stood there shaking my head.  I’ve had many, many moments as a teacher where I’ve wondered,

What’s going on in that kid’s mind???

            All of a sudden, a thought came over me.  I called her over; it was my turn to ask a question.

Mr. Lin:         “Alicia, if you turn right to get to Heaven and left to get to Sesame Street, you would be going in opposite directions, right?  So… is Sesame Street the opposite of Heaven?”

Alicia giggled; she had realized this joke had turned Sesame Street into a far less happy place.  Again, she skipped away, unable to keep her dimples from appearing once again.  I watched in amusement as she packed up, oblivious to the hilarity that she provided for me. 

81% of Americans…

…believe in Heaven. That’s a true statistic, taken from a Gallup poll in 2004.  As childlike as Alicia’s words were, it conveyed a decidedly profound thought:  The way to get to Heaven isn’t all that different as the way to that OTHER place.  What I mean is, are Christians really all that different?  If you were to ask any of my friends from college, California, and New Jersey, I’m certain they still recognize the same person as I was not-so-many years ago.  Well, perhaps I’ve grown up a little (not much, but a little!), but haven’t we all?  The same friends that were branding themselves with hot coat hangers, running with the bulls in Pamplona, and staying up until 6am on weeknights drinking 40s are now fathers, businessmen, and… Christians. 

My life hasn’t changed all that much since I made the decision to start following Christ in 2007.  I’m still impulsive, impatient, and prone to do really stupid and borderline inappropriate things.  But, I’ve matured, become more altruistic, and become (relatively) responsible as I’ve aged.  These things all could have all happened regardless of me becoming a Christian.  The difference is that, as alluring as it is to turn left towards Sesame Street, I made the decision to turn right.  It's comforting to know where that road leads.

Leave it to a 10 year old child with dimples to remind me that Heaven was never - not even in my darkest hours - really all that far away.

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.  ~ Mark 10:15