Psychologist Jordan Peterson recently sat down with Jesus Revolution's Greg Laurie to talk all things God, heaven, and the afterlife.
The video interview, which is also a podcast, lasted almost two hours as Laurie opened up about his son's death. Christopher Laurie was 33-years-old when he was involved in a car accident in 2008 that claimed his life.
"As a Christian, I believe I'll see my son again because he believed in Jesus," says Laurie. "He won't be in Heaven because I'm his dad. He'll be in Heaven because he put his faith in Christ and he had that relationship. He's a part of my future as well. So that gives me hope. But also, I realize that God can allow these things in our life. I don't know why. I can't explain it. I don't even try to explain it."
Peterson has been long fascinated with the Bible and Christianity, however, he hasn't ever outright said that he believes in God. Peterson just published the book We Who Wrestle with God: Perceptions of the Divine. In it he says, "It is time for us to understand such things, scientifically and spiritually; to become conscious of the structure of our souls and our societies; and to see ourselves and others as if for the first time."
The psychologist connected with Laurie, equating grief and it's tether to love.
"The depth of your grief is proportionate to the magnitude of your love," said Peterson. "So you might say, ‘Well, how could God constitute a world made such that a child could die? And then you think, 'Well, if you have a child, and the child dies, and you grieve, the grief is an indication of the magnitude of the loss.' So the fact that you grieve, that's a testament to the value of life, even though it's truncated."
Laurie spoke on the concept of Heaven and how real it is to him, promised by Scripture. The two discussed the depths of what this means for everyone.
"As you read the Bible, you realize that Heaven is a real place for real people to do real things. Jesus said, ‘I go to prepare a place for you.’ And Heaven, in the Bible, is pictured as a city. It's pictured as a country. It's pictured as a paradise. The Bible tells us we'll eat in Heaven. We'll be reunited with loved ones in Heaven; we'll be active. And then, one day, Heaven comes to Earth, and what we call the millennium, Heaven and Earth become one. I believe strongly in that."
Peterson proded Laurie further about the reality of Heaven. Laurie's response was founded in his personal testimony.
"God made a lot of promises," he said. "I’ve put those promises to the test, including the worst thing of all, to lose a child. And I've seen how God had come through for me. If He hadn't come through for me after my son died, I would have given up preaching, for sure. Why carry on? But He came through for me."
Once the interview was over, Laurie shared that he saw Peterson as "one of the great minds of our generation."