November 4, 2015

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.” Revelation 21:1-6

“Cities are not just places where people live, but where different kinds of people live together. Interestingly, John sees not several cities but one heavenly city: God envisions human beings living together as one. The city which in the Bible symbolizes God’s promise to his people, Jerusalem, is to become the city of all. The vision would have us perceive a new potentiality within human existence: life becomes truly beautiful, even breathtakingly so, whenever and wherever human beings overcome what divides them and live together as one.

If the harshness of opposition and conflict could make such a vision seem more like fleeting dream than potential reality, we would do well to notice in the vision the downward movement of the city. It does not float off into the heavens. For all its singularity, the city is not otherworldly. Rather it comes down to earth. The heavenly city is an invitation then not to turn our gaze elsewhere but to keep it fixed here. This world, our city, is to be made new. For it to be transformed, we need to look again at those around us. What could possibly inspire us for this? “Look,” John hears a voice saying in verse 3, “God has come to live with humans.” (“A City Beautiful Like No Other,” Commented Bible Passages from Taize, 2013.)

“The heavenly city is an invitation then not to turn our gaze elsewhere but to keep it fixed here.” What a good reminder that we are not expecting a new heaven and new earth somewhere else, but the new earth and the new heaven will come down to us. So the work of redemption is something that happens on this earth. Christ is working to redeem things here – and we are the hands and feet of Christ. We cannot turn a blind eye to the evil and the destruction happening on this earth, but we are to join the fight – we are to join the work of redemption, of changing the misuse and abuse of this earth, creation and all the creatures herein.

There is a true beauty in the world when we see people working together in harmony – together with each other, and together with the creation. And when the new heaven and the new earth come to fruition, it will be a vision that will move all people beyond words. So while we still have the ability to speak this hope, let us join the work of redemption, re-creation, and resolution.

Pastor Dave