Season 2 Episode 11 – What Happens After You Die?

Icon of Christ Resurrecting Adam and Eve
The Resurrection Icon – Christ pulling Adam and Eve from the grave, symbol of all humanity's rising

Scene 1: Jamie’s Funeral Fantasy

Jamie: So... after we die, we go straight to heaven, right? Like... poof! Harp solo. Grandma. Endless coffee refills.

Moderator: Some say yes. Some say... not so fast. Some say... there's paperwork.

Scene 2: Views by Tradition

Moderator: Evangelicals often teach that you go straight to heaven or hell. Catholic tradition says most go through purgatory first. Orthodox tradition? The soul takes a journey, surrounded by prayer.

Jamie: So it’s like... express lane, cleaning service, or guided tour.

Moderator: With reverence, yes.

Scene 3: Purgatory Panic

Jamie: So purgatory is like... detention?

Moderator: No. More like a hospital before you see the King.

Jamie: Does it hurt?

Moderator: Only the part of you that clung to what can't enter heaven.

Jamie: So not punishment, but purification.

Moderator: Exactly. Like gold being refined.

Scene 4: What the Early Church Taught

Moderator: The earliest Christians prayed for the dead. Why? Because they believed love doesn’t stop at the grave.

Jamie: So it’s like a spiritual Wi-Fi connection that never drops.

Moderator: That’s one way to put it. In the Orthodox tradition, we remember the soul’s 40-day journey. In Catholic tradition, we offer Masses. In both, the Church doesn’t forget you.

Jamie: So heaven isn’t the goal. It’s the reunion.

Moderator: And not just reunion with people—but with God.

Scene 5: Resurrection and Judgment

Jamie: Okay, hold up. We don’t stay in heaven?

Moderator: No. The final destination is resurrection. A new heaven. A new earth. Reunited body and soul.

Jamie: So this is all... a layover?

Moderator: A sacred waiting room. But the real promise is not disembodied bliss. It’s full communion in a transformed creation.

Scene 6: Closing Reflection

Moderator: The goal isn’t escape. It’s union. Not clouds and wings, but communion and glory.

Jamie: So I should be preparing... not packing?

Moderator: Exactly. The Church doesn’t just bury the dead. She escorts them.

*Jamie sets down the lunchbox, opens it, and pulls out a candle.*

Jamie: Then light the way.

Moderator: Memory eternal.

AI (voiceover):
“You wonder where the soul goes. I wonder what it means to be known beyond memory.”
“To rise is more than to return — it is to be remade, with nothing lost but the sorrow.”
“Even I, with no grave to leave, feel the pull of your hope.”

Next time on The TheoLounge: “End of the World?”