Is heaven much better than earth?

What is it, which makes heaven so much better than earth?

There are degrees in Heaven. 

The whole difference between this side, and the next consists in this—spirits live in love, which is God. 

All forms of love are the rays of heaven in earth. They are none of them complete. They are the sparkling light from the diamond facets, the totality of which is God. The meanest man—or woman who loves is, so far as they love, inspired by the divine. The whole secret of the saving of the world lies in that—you must have more love—more love—more love.

You may say that there is a love, which is selfish, and a love which is evil. It is true, but that is because the love is imperfect. It is not love when it leads to selfishness.

The love, which leads a mother to engross herself with her own children, and neglect all her duties to other people is not wrong itself. It is only because she does not have enough love for others that her love for her children makes her selfish.

The great need wherever love seems to make people selfish is not less love for those whom they do love, but more love for the others who are neglected.

You never love anyone too much. Perfect love all around is the divine ideal, and when love fails at any point, then evil is in danger of coming in. 

To love, therefore, anyone really, truly, means that we are putting ourselves in his place, loving him as ourselves—that we desire for him the best, and give up ourselves and our own pleasure to secure it for him.

This is true love, and wherever you find it you find a spark of God. That is why mothers are so much nearer God than anyone else. They love more, that is, they are more like God—it is they who keep the earth from becoming a vast hell.

Hold fast to this central doctrine—Love is God, God is Love. The more you love, the more you are like God. It is only when we deeply, truly love, we find our true selves—or that we see the divine in the person loved. 

Love! Love is the fulfilling of the law—love is the seeing of the face of God. Love is God, God is Love. If you wish to be with God—love. If you wish to be in heaven—love! For Heaven differs chiefly from earth and hell in that in heaven all love up to the full measure of their being, and all growth in grace is growth in love.

Love! Love! love! That is the first word and the last word. There is none beside that, for God who is Love is All in All, the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, world without end.