Dr. Jon Burnham preached this sermon from Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 at Batesville Presbyterian Church on May 13, 2007
"There is a church in the Northeast with a stained-glass window problem. High above the chancel, set in glass, is a picture of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, dipping out of clouds toward the earth. Some of the church members want to tear the window down: 'it is,' they claim, 'too otherworldly.' Well, perhaps they're right. After all, with terrorism and the soaring price of gasoline, we've enough on our hands without hankering after some make-believe town in the sky. Perhaps like the stained-glass window, we should dump the book of Revelation and stick to the here and now. Yet, there's something about the vision that grips us: 'And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down...from God...And I heard a loud voice ... saying ..., "Death will be nor more; mourning and crying and pain will be nor more."'
What a wonderful vision for we who live in a world where the mortality rate runs 100%.
We could all use a new heaven and a new earth. The very thought of it brings hope to our hearts. And yet the city of hope portrayed here is more than a personal talisman ... a symbol to get us through this weary life so we can have our pie in the sky by and by. For this apocalyptic vision has a universal scope. The nations will walk by the light of the city of hope, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Bob Dylan pegged us in his song "Political World,"
We live in a political world
Where peace is not welcome at all,
It's turned away from the door to wander some more
Or put up against the wall.
There is an American primitive painting entitled The Peaceable Kingdom. It shows a lion lying down with a lamb, a barnyard cow and a grizzly bear nuzzling each other, while in among the animals children laugh and play. The picture's a little romantic for our tastes. Apparently the artist had never heard of Al Queda or torture prisons. Perhaps the lion and the lamb will declare a truce, but what about the Middle East? The fact is we live in a world of power politics, not in zoological society! So at least the Bible is realistic; the Bible knows there can be no peace until national power—including American power—bows down before the throne of God. Then, and only then, will we see a new heaven and a new earth and a many-gated city of God.
And this city of hope is so God-occupied that there are no churches there. That's right. In God's city of hope, there are no churches, synagogues or mosques. Imagine a place in which there is no need for the moderating influence of religion. No priests, ministers or rabbis. Unemployment runs at 100% for all clergy in heaven. There is no need for human intermediaries in the city of hope for God Himself dwells in that city. The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light.
I know, it sounds too good to be true. If the Christian vision of God's city of hope is too far removed from reality, then perhaps we should tear it down and face reality, knock down the stained glass vision and replace it with the hard reality of life in this world as we know it. Albrect Durer has a famous woodcut. He pictures a woman sitting dejectedly on dry ground. in the distance is a city waiting to be built, and beside her is a box of tools for building, but she doesn't move. She has no hope. Without hope, nothing is possible, and therefore, nothing attempted. We cannot live without hope.
Of course, it all depends on what hope you have, on what kind of vision you cherish. We've seen so much death in the past five years from Baghdad to Virginia Tech. Unless we can be changed we'll dream a Holy City but end with death and pain and a warring of nations, everytime. The Revelation writer envisions "A new heaven and a new earth." What we need is nothing less than a whole new human race.
Of course, that is what we celebrate during the Easter season, a whole new human race. Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead, the new Adam, the firstfruits of a new creation. The resurrection means God has power to overcome the old order of sin and death, manipulation and greed, to make something new--a risen Christ and a new humanity.
Hear's the good news for today. God is busy creating the city of hope right now. According to the verbs in the Greek text, the vision of the city of hope is in the present tense. Yes, we live in a political world where might makes right. Yes, we live in a world where the color of your skin still means something. Yes, we live in a world where our nation has been at war every day for the past five years. Even so, God is busy building the city of hope. And if we have the eyes to see, we can get glimpses of that holy city every now and then. We get a glimpse of the city of hope being built when we see global warming becoming a matter of concensus even among conservative religious people in this country. We get a glimpse of God's city of hope being built when we hear a growing clamor for peace, not just among left-wing types, but among people of goodwill everywhere. Yes, there are still pockets of rural povery pounding our counties and there are still ghettos festering in our cities but God's people are getting geared up to work for justice for the working poor, the migrant workers and the hungry in our land of plenty.
What about the church with the stained-glass window problem? "Too otherworldly," the people complained. Well, they decided to keep the window after all. For they discovered that through the years the glass had faded so that through the golden image of the new Jerusalem they could see the towers of their own town; one city seen through the vision of another. We are meant to live in the world with a vision of God's promises, judging injustice with hard truth, but taking hope where hope is sure, and trusting the power of God that raised up Jesus. See, our God is making things new! The vision of the new Jerusalem, that Holy City, God's city of hope, is our guiding light. Let's march on—toward the guiding light—until the time comes when God makes all things new and there is no more night.
