Starting with the Masses and ending with Heaven

Yesterday, I found myself amidst a mass of people at an art show...

I often find myself amidst a mass.  Whether that be in a bus, observing a mother with her child; whether that be in line waiting to buy my well deserved ice cream cone; or walking through the busy streets of New York City, hoping no one will make eye contact with me.  There are many masses I find myself in, and I notice that I despise them.

These last two years my husband and I had been living amidst a mass of people in New England.  As I would walk down and out of my apartment I would see on average 6 people outside just walking around.  I would drive to work I would get honked at almost every time; and as I would try to find peace at a coffee shop - guaranteed someone would ask for my empty seat, or even have the guts to ask to sit with me...why?  Because the coffee shop was filled with flesh.  I started to despise people, hiding myself under the blankets of my bed, but even then I could hear the music of the mass below.  I suppose this is where I began despising the masses.

But what is a mass?  By definition it is "Pertaining to, involving, or affecting a large number of people".      As I begin to contemplate this definition I notice that it includes a very important word: "people".  Individuals make up a mass and they are filled with a soul, given by a God of Love.  So then, why do I still despise the masses?

Yesterday, I found myself amidst of mass of people at an art show...

But this time I felt like I was in heaven for 3 hours.  I saw what Heaven will be like.  This mass was filled with faces I had long ago known with deep, genuine, and loving memories.  One after another, these faces showed up, my heart was only filled with love.  All my worries, all my pain, and all my baggage, slowly faded as I saw a slight appearance of Heaven amidst everyone around me.  I suppose Heaven will be filled with kinship.  I suppose Heaven will be filled with love.  I suppose Heaven will be filled with deep and rich historical friendship.  The love from God is in all of us, and it is what makes a "mass" beautiful.

The masses are just filled with the love of God in all of us.
I suppose we must just stop and dig into each piece of the mass to find Heaven on earth.