Reflection: “Cities” The majority of Australians are city dwellers and although our social history draws heavily on the wide inland areas, from the wheat fields to the cattle stations and the vast sheep runs, we’re predominantly urban dwellers.
Although our geographical myths romanticise the Red Centre, Uluru, Cape York, the Simpson Desert and the Birdsville Track, the majority of us cling to the coastlands and mass together in the capital cities of each State and Territory. We eulogise about the country, but we tend to huddle together in cities. If cities are our thing, then it may be good for us to explore a couple of cities mentioned in the Bible. One near the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis, and another at the end, in the Book of Revelation. The first one is the city founded by the murderous Cain, and the other is the city of God, the New Jerusalem. Both cities are metaphors, so they’re not to be taken in a factual, mundane, ‘ho hum’ way - like me saying, for instance: “Hobart is the capital city of Tasmania, and Darwin is the chief city of the Northern Territory.” No - the city of Cain and the city of God are far more important and more real, than our Australian cities. They’re like parables - plumbing the depths of human shame and frustration and declaring the saving ways of God. THE FIRST CITY - In Genesis Ch. 4, Cain became a restless nomad after murdering his brother Abel and rejecting God’s disapproval (“Am I my brother’s keeper?”). We’re told that Cain went off and lived in the land of Nod, which, in Hebrew means “wandering”. Cain lost the ability to stay still and be contented, becoming forever restless because he was alienated - even from the soil – we read that “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” Filled with guilt and denial and with anxieties gnawing away at his being, Cain travelled far away from home, always on the move, never settled. He married and had children, but the restlessness persisted. That’s what happens when we alienate ourselves from others - we live in the land of Nod, in a meandering life. Cain looked for an alternative. If he couldn’t be spiritually close to others, then at least he could be physically close. So, he gathered people together and built a city, which he named after his first child - Enoch. He congregated with others, longing for human warmth to quell the inner cold of his spirit. His city (though much smaller and less ‘sophisticated’ than ours) is a symbol of the cities in which we herd together. Often, we settle for physical proximity rather than sustaining personal interaction. Cities appear to be full of life, but they may not always have meaningful community. Yes, they may provide plenty of coming and going, with diversions like busy shopping centres, discos, casinos, crowded train stations, large sporting events and musical spectaculars, packed light rail cars and busses and ample choices to wine and dine. These sorts of cities thrive in the land of Nod, cropping up everywhere for restless wanderers. They promise much - but deliver very little to the person who is at odds with themselves and with God. Cities can be the loneliest places on the planet! THE FINAL CITY - please don’t misunderstand me - I’m not anti-city, as I’ve lived in big cities all my life. There are many wonderful opportunities in cities for those who want to grow in grace, wisdom and love. It’s not insignificant that the Bible concludes with the vision of a city where people live together at close quarters in peace and love and profound joy. In John’s vision, or Revelation, we find the city of God - the New Jerusalem. It comes down from heaven to earth like a bride adorned for marriage and this city is God’s ultimate bonus. Here is God’s redeemed community, the final fulfilment of the long and painful human story. It’s a gift - it’s grace. The city of God is beautiful - a place of gold and jewels, symbols of rare and valuable beauty, where there’s nothing ugly or obscene and there is perfect symmetry in the dimensions of this city. It is a place that’s in harmony. “The city lies foursquare, its length and breadth and height are equal” Here everything has been planned to have its perfect place, and everything is in that right place. A community where all is in divine balance. The city of God has twelve gates, so that it can welcome people from every conceivable direction. These gates are never shut, for its free citizens never need to be shut in, enemies don’t need to be shut out. This is truly a community of “shalom”, a city of peace, where there’s no hunger or thirst, no suffering, no separation, no loss or grief. Most remarkable of all, there is no temple - no church building, no cathedral, no chapel, because all our temples are secondary to God - no matter how beautiful. Such sanctuaries are a witness not only to our hunger for a God who often seems to be absent, but also to our kinship with wandering Cain. In the New Jerusalem, God is never felt to be absent and the kin of Cain have come home - forgiven and restored. The light of God illumines everything in the holy city. Here there are no more misconceptions, no more doubts, no more prejudice and error, no more need for doctrines and creeds, no more need to cry out “Lord I believe. Help me in my unbelief.” God enlightens everything and everybody. “The city has no need for the sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light and the Lamb is its lamp.” As I said earlier, this “New Jerusalem” is a metaphor – but what a majestic metaphor! In the beginning - there is the city of Cain, where people jostle together for warmth, and try to hide from the chill of alienated existence, but without much love and community and in the end we have the city of God, where all is light, warmth and joyful community. So where does that leave us? Where are we now? Well, I believe that we’re the in-between-people. We are the church - a flawed, yet hope-filled, community. In spite of literature that’s likened the church to the city of God, we’re still far from that light, that beauty and love. I don’t think we should expect too much of the church. It’s not, and should not, ever presume to be the final Holy City. But equally, I don’t think we should become disappointed, bitter and cynical when things go wrong. The church community is made up of people like you and me. And unless I am gravely mistaken, the mark of Cain still shows on all of us. So please don’t expect too much. Yet also, please don’t expect too little of the church. Don’t settle for less than what is achievable. We should not become apathetic because with Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, change and growth are always possible for us. We who are in the church, this in-between-city, this flawed community of faith, are on the way to something better. By the grace of God, we stand with John in the promise of what the new community will truly come to be. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth........ and I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven like a bride adorned for her husband. And the city has no need for sun or moon to shine upon it, for God is its light and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light shall the nations walk, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, and its gates shall never be shut.” What a promise from the God who loves us so much, so let us be thankful for his grace to us and may we focus on our journey toward the vision of things to come. Let us keep striving to reach our goal of life within the golden city within the family of God. It’s up to us which city we want to reside in – and my vote goes to the one provided by our Lord. Blessings in your journey through life…………………. Pastor Rick
1 Comment
Lena Beryl Blok
20/5/2022 05:50:28 pm
Thank you Rick.
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Pastor
|