Pulling heaven down to earth

Here's a description of Heaven from Maria Shriver [Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife] from her children's book called, What's Heaven:

[Heaven] is somewhere you believe in ...It's a beautiful place where you can sit on soft clouds and talk to other people who are there....If you're good throughout your life, then you get to go to heaven...And [Grandma] is watching over us from up there..."

Note the following:  'Soft clouds.'  Entry into heaven conditional upon your own goodness.  A place 'up there.'

Now here's another picture of heaven from N.T. Wright:

'God's kingdom' in the preaching of Jesus refers not to a postmortem destiny, not to our escape from this world into another one, but to God's sovereign rule coming 'on earth as it is in heaven.' ...Heaven, in the Bible, is not a future destiny but the other, hidden, dimension of our ordinary life - God's dimension, if you like. 

-- from Surprised by Hope

That's not to say that we won't enjoy what is typically called, "Paradise" upon our bodily death.  We will.  What's more, it is conditioned upon the gift of God's goodness dwelling in the new hearts he gives to those who receive friendship with him. 

What differences do you note between the typical expression of heaven represented by Maria Shriver's position, and N.T. Wright's description?  Which view brings you more hope today?

Let's stop locating 'heaven' 'up there, in the stars;' but instead, breath it in through our nostrils, sense it when the wind blows, and feel a presence brush over our skin during a great conversation.  For the kingdom is that "other, hidden, dimension of our ordinary life."  Now.

The veil flutters in the wind now.  Remember, it was torn in two.