Are you going to hell ? Or has hell been a part of you? Let's explore a different way to understand Jesus's teachings on what some call hell but he called Gehenna - not as a place of eternal damnation but as an eternal state state of being, that we can entertain for as long as we choose. "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell (Gehenna)." - Matthew 5:29 "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell (Gehenna)." - Matthew 5:22 Gehenna at the time was a valley used as a garbage dump where waste was burned, creating smoke that could drift back into Jerusalem,(karma?) symbolizing a place of filth and fire. Imagine Gehenna not just as a location but as a condition of the soul, akin to emotions or states of mind like enthusiasm, gratitude, or the darker sides such as lust, envy, and wrath. These states are "eternal" in essence, not because they last forever in everyone, but because they exist perpetually in the human experience. Persisting within us as long as we (embody) or cling to them, feeding into a cycle of relentless sin and suffering. The concept of salvation then becomes less about escaping a physical or metaphysical place and more about liberation from these self-imposed chains. Here's the encouraging part: You can be set free at any moment. How ? 4 steps... 1.Acknowledge: First, recognize these negative states within you. Acknowledging that lust, sloth, envy, greed, or pride have been part of your life is the first step to change. 2. Confess: Open up about these struggles, not just to others but to yourself. Honesty with oneself is the bedrock of repentance. 3. Repent: Choose to turn away from these states. Repentance is not just remorse but a decision to change direction, to no longer let these aspects define or control you. 4. Believe: Trust in the divine power that can transform and renew. This belief isn't about magic or instant change, but about faith in the potential for divine intervention and rebirth. This journey towards liberation isn't about an endless state of punishment but about divine transformation. You are not condemned to carry these burdens indefinitely; you have the choice to cast them aside. The fire of Gehenna, then, is not only one that burns eternally but one that can also prompt purification, urging us to shed (garbage) and what does not serve us any longer. Why not embrace this new perspective on Jesus's teachings: that salvation is available here and now, not as a distant reward or escape from a fiery pit, but as an ongoing process of divine transformation and rebirth. Let this realization bring you hope and the courage to change, knowing that the power to transcend these states is a divine gift, leading you to a new life in spirit.