Will we know each other in heaven?

Many years ago, I had a conversation with a true Bristolian who was on the oversight of the church I attended (I loved how he said ‘oversight’ in his Bristolian, and can hear it still). He explained to me why he believed that we will not recognise one another in glory. He thought that it would just be too painful because, simply, we have hurt one another, and it would recall the painful memories for all eternity.

I can’t recall if he mentioned this (it was over 30 years ago), but I guess it would be possible to meet someone who had even murdered you (and later came to Christ), and so if there was recognition that could be very traumatic.

Of course, we understand this viewpoint, knowing that God has promised to wipe away all the tears, but we cannot agree with the conclusion that we will not recognise one another in heaven or the new creation because the Biblical story, taken carefully and fully, gives us a quite different impression.