Heaven is Real - Burpo

Meet Colton Burpo.  At age four Colton knows more about life and the afterlife than most of us will know in a lifetime.  Why?  Because Colton has been to the pearly gates.  In his recent book,  “Heaven is for Real” Todd Burpo, Colton’s father  a Christian pastor  from Imperial Nebraska, chronicles a series of medical close calls that eventually led Colton to a near death experience and to seemingly experience “for real”, a three-minute slice of Heaven.  Improbable as it might seem to non-believers, Colton’s story must be true.  There can be no other accounting for his awareness and the clarity of which he describes his visit.  Unencumbered by the stigma or the stigmata Colton met Jesus and described the wounds in his flesh as simply markers of red color on the man with “pretty eyes” who held him in his lap during the last few moments of his life.  And, while infection ravaged his small body during the last few moments of his life his dad, closed off in a hospital closet, privately cried and cursed his own creator and savior. 

Many have seen the white light and moved towards it, only to be recalled back to the operating room or accident scene by doctors or EMT’s working frantically to save them.  Colton seems to have traveled beyond.  Perhaps he slipped away unnoticed by an incompetent medical staff for his brief encounter with the sister and grandfather he never knew, an exquisite kaleidoscope of rainbow colors, God the Father, the Angel Gabriel, the Virgin Mary, and of course the One who undeniably Loves us all an perhaps the little children just a little bit more..

Many others have written about the afterlife, Mitch’s Albom’s account, in “Five People You Meet in Heaven” springs to mind.  But while beautifully written and articulated, Albom’s account is a fancifully fabricated story that simply brings us great joy to believe.  Colton’s account cannot be a work of fiction because at his age he had nothing upon which to base his story.  Simple Bible stories would not impart the sophisticated tapestry of past, present, and future (including the end of times) events upon which Colton was conversant.  Only first hand witness explains his account, which he began sharing first with his family, and later with those he came into contact who could be comforted with his knowledge.

A light read, a compelling story, and a simple solution for where we all are headed.  As with all things that require faith you must also make a personal choice to believe in this book.  Five stars for the spectacular and haunting picture of the Prince of Peace…but four stars overall.