You study the Bible and you think you know all the deep theological truths. You delight in talking about them and teaching them.

Then something humbling happens. Your 4-year-old begins to ask you questions. This is exactly what happened to me recently.

My son, Patrick, began to ask me questions, and I found them difficult to answer.

Coming home from church one day Patrick asked me, “Do you know how to get to heaven, Dad?”

I answered, “Yes, I do.”

He said, “Then why don’t we go sometime?”

Patrick thought that heaven was a place on this Earth and that by taking the correct route, we could go.

Heaven is not found on this earth; however, it does exist, and we can get there. The way to heaven is God’s way: Jesus Christ.

Hebrews chapter 1:1-2 says, “God…hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.”

Jesus spoke many things concerning himself.

He said, “I am the way the truth and the life.” He also said, “I am the door: By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, …” Eternal life in heaven is found by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

A few days later, we passed through Woodland Cemetery on our way home from the grocery store.

“Patrick, I hope we don’t see any zombies,” I said.

The next day, however, he began to ask me more penetrating questions.

“Dad, does everyone die?”

“Yes,” I said.

“Will you die, Daddy?”

“Yes, someday I will die.”

“Will me die,”

“Yes, everyone dies, but you don’t have to worry about that now.”

“I don’t want to die; worms will crawl out of my mouth,” he said.

Since there are worms in the ground he thought that they would get in his mouth.

Death is a frightening reality to a child and should be to everyone who is not prepared for it.

Death will come to us all soon. Life is short. You may not expect to die today, but the day of your death is imminent.

“It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment.”

However, death need not be feared if we have our trust in Christ. Patrick asked me another question, “When me die can I come home? I want to come home.”

Some people have the luxury of having two homes. In reality all Christians have two homes.

My home here is not much, but my second home in heaven is fantastic.

When Christians die they go to their second home.

Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: (we don’t have to be afraid) ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: … I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also.”

For the Christian death is not a fearful event, but a glorious one. If you are not a Christian won’t you ask God to save you before it is too late because one day it will be.

James Kearns is pastor of Baldknob United Brethren Church in Kitts Hill.