Moving In

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
Revelation 21:3

REFLECTION:
I saw a moving van in our neighborhood the other day.

For most of the last 8 years that we have lived in this neighborhood, there is a house up the street that has been in shambles. Hundreds of broken down toys littering the yard; multiple broken down cars scattered in the front. The garage doors didn't close all the way, revealing a garage so full of items in disarray that it hadn't been used for vehicles in years. The paint was peeling off the siding, and the gutters hung off the roof.

But there's restoration happening there these days. Under new ownership, the house now sparkles with a new paint job, a clean yard, and new windows. It is restored to its former beauty...and someone's moving in.

This is the image in the 21st chapter of Revelation. John, the one who received this brilliant vision and wrote it down for us, sees the "New Jerusalem" descending from heaven and landing on earth. It is Jerusalem, but restored. It is human community, but restored.

The gates are adorned with every imaginable valuable stone. There is no need of temple or even sun, because the Lamb is the light that shines. The river flows from the throne of God through the middle of Main Street, with trees on both sides. This is the Garden of Eden meets the city of Jerusalem...an urban paradise. It is the very presence of God.

And then the shocking part...it's here. This beautiful city, containing the final fulfillment of all the promises of God, descends to earth. And the voice in the reading above says things that are deeply true for us on a daily basis, whether we have a hard time comprehending them or not:

"See...the home of God is among mortals! He will dwell with them! They will be his peoples! And God himself will be with them!"

It always shocks people to know that heaven isn't going to be some far away place we have to earn our way up to...it is going to be here; a renewed and restored Garden of Eden in our cities.

So...fair warning...the down payment has already been paid in Christ's resurrection. The moving vans are already here. God is moving in...through every Sunday morning celebration, through every humble act of service, through every quiet moment of strength-in-the-midst-of-struggle, God is moving in. And restoration is the result!

Wherever you are feeling broken down today, be open to the fact that God is moving in. Wherever you are feeling broken down today, rest in the blessed assurance that "the home of God is among mortals!" May God unlock our hearts and restore our lives in ways great and small today.

PRAYER:
God, we are in need of your healing, your peace, and your restoration. Where the paint is peeling in our lives, restore us. Where we are hurting and broken, restore us. Where we need to shine for others to see, restore us. Welcome home, and thank you for coming. Amen.