Would You Know My Name If I Saw You in Heaven?

Reflections on Peace and Heaven’s Call

Carrying On in Hope

The Call to Reconciliation

The Spirit of Early Christianity

The poignant lyrics of Eric Clapton’s song Tears in Heaven invite reflection on themes of loss, love, and hope. 

“Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven? 

Would you feel the same if I saw you in heaven?” 

The questions resonate with our deepest longings for connection, reconciliation, and peace, even beyond the boundaries of this life. As we hold these thoughts, there is an underlying truth that heaven represents not just an ethereal place but a condition of perfect peace, healing, and the restoration of what is broken.

It is this longing for peace and restoration that also undergirds the Peace Testimony of the early Friends (Quakers). Friends, often calling their movement “primitive Christianity revived,” sought to return to the simplicity and integrity of the early Christian church. One of their most profound commitments was to nonviolence, a testimony they based on both the teachings of Christ and the witness of early Christians who, for centuries after Jesus’ resurrection, refused to take up arms.

The Peace Testimony in Light of Scripture

The Friends’ understanding of peace begins with Jesus’ teaching, “He that takes the sword, shall perish with the sword” (Matthew 26:52). These words, spoken as Jesus was being arrested, resonate deeply with the broader testimony of the New Testament, where the followers of Christ are called not to vengeance but to forgiveness, not to conflict but to reconciliation. This stands in contrast to the fallen state of the world, where “wars and fightings proceed from the lusts of men” (James 4:1-3). The Friends understood “lusts” not in the narrow sense of sexual desires but as encompassing all forms of covetousness, greed, and desire for control. The Christian, they believed, is released from serving these base desires and is instead drawn into the service of Jesus Christ, which brings a wholly different spirit to life—a spirit of peace.

This commitment to peace is prefigured even in the Old Testament, where prophets like Isaiah and Micah saw a future time when “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:2-4, Micah 4:1-4). The peace envisioned by the prophets is one grounded not in human might or power but in the Spirit of God. As Zechariah declared, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit” (Zechariah 4:6).

Peace as a Fruit of Heaven’s Presence

Returning to Clapton’s haunting question—“Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?”—we might ask what it means to see and be seen in heaven, to live in the light of that perfect peace. Heaven is not simply a far-off place we hope to reach after death; it is a reality that breaks into our lives here and now when we live in harmony with God’s Spirit. Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). The peace of heaven is meant to shape how we live today, compelling us to embody the nonviolent, reconciliatory spirit of Christ.

This peace calls for strength and perseverance. As the song reflects, “I must be strong and carry on, ’cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven.” While we long for heaven’s peace, we live in a world rife with conflict, suffering, and violence. The Friends’ Peace Testimony reminds us that as followers of Christ, we are called to live out the values of heaven in the present moment. This is not easy—it requires courage, faith, and the strength to resist the prevailing winds of the world’s lust for power and control.

Overcoming Evil with Good

One of the most radical aspects of the early Christian and Quaker testimonies is the call to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Jesus taught that we are not to resist evil by returning violence for violence. Instead, we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). This teaching stands in stark contrast to the logic of the world, where power is often equated with the ability to dominate others. For the early Christians and Friends, true power comes from submitting to God’s will and trusting that His Spirit can transform even the hardest of hearts.

To live this way is to live in the reality of heaven, even while we remain on earth. It is to embody the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7), and to trust that in the end, it is not by might or power, but by God’s Spirit that evil will be overcome and peace will reign.

Carrying On in a World of Conflict

In a world that often feels far from heaven, the call to live in peace can feel overwhelming. Yet, as the song reminds us, “I must be strong and carry on.” The early Christians carried on despite persecution, trusting that their witness to Christ’s love and peace would bear fruit in God’s time. The Friends carried on in their commitment to nonviolence, even as they faced opposition from a world that often found their stance incomprehensible.

And we, too, are called to carry on, to live in the light of heaven’s peace even when it feels distant. We are called to see others through the eyes of Christ, to refuse to retaliate in anger or violence, and to trust that, in the end, the peace of God will prevail.

May we, like the early Christians and Friends, draw strength from the assurance that though we may not belong fully to this world, we are called to live out the values of heaven—peace, love, and reconciliation—here and now. As we do, we trust that God will recognize our efforts to live in harmony with His will, and that one day, when we see Him in heaven, we will know His name, and He will know ours.

Prayer:

Lord of peace, 

give us the strength to carry on in a world of conflict. Help us to reflect the peace of heaven in our hearts and actions, that we may overcome evil with good. Teach us to see others through Your eyes, loving even our enemies, and trusting in Your Spirit to bring reconciliation and healing. In Jesus’ name, 

Amen.