27 May 2024

In his vision of heaven, St. John, the Divine, sees it as a city.  The picture of heaven as a city is anathema to us not because we don’t have some beautiful cities but because our cities are also places where there is much ugliness in its darkest corners.

Increasing drug addiction among all ages, women and  children being trafficked for prostitution, ordinary people labouring for poor wages, council leaders and business people sacrificing integrity for material gain.

In Palestine and Ukraine cities have been razed to the ground through indiscriminate war machines. ’14,000 babies in Gaza could starve if Israel doesn’t lift its blockade.’ says one appeal. There is no end to the physical destruction nor the brutality meted out against vulnerable children.

Over 900,000 Russian soldiers have been killed as a consequence of Vladimir Putin’s illegal war. How many mothers, fathers,  wives and children have been bereaved. And how many have been killed in Ukraine – soldiers, women, children?

This is our city. This is our world. It is far removed  from St. John’s vision. But isn’t this where our vocation as Christian people is exercised. We are here to make good cities, to build good homes, to create good communities, to become good people, to reach out to others, to share our harvest and healing balm.

In a sermon about St. John’s vision of the heavenly city, Henry Drummond gives this advice when we wonder what we can do. ‘How are you to begin?’ he asks. ‘As Christ did.’ is his reply. ‘First He looked at the City; then He wept over it; then He died for it.’