Jesus says we can live forever. But how do we explain this to a child?

I recall that satisfying as a child when we came to the end of a story and there was the reassuring note: ‘and they all lived happily ever after’. I had enjoyed the story and on the whole was pretty pleased that things went well for them.

But one child was clearly a little puzzled when thinking of forever, and perhaps needed some reassurance. For her ‘forever’ seemed an awfully long time hence this question to her mum.

Now of course ‘how long is forever’ may not necessarily be a ‘faith question’ but more about comprehending time as a child. But on this case there was a faith element and it was asked in the context of going to heaven forever.

It was theologian J I Packer who famously wrote that ‘human beings were built to last’. He took the view that all peoples will exist eternally, some in heaven and some in hell.

Others suggest that immortality is reserved for those who put their faith in God, and that those who die outside of Christ cease to exist. Such nuances are probably not for your child, but it is of course valuable to work out what you believe as you try and simplify things for your child.