There are more than a few, in fact way too many, Christians who view the church as a great and magnificent fortified city, the very seat of God, in words so much like the psalmist who wrote:
count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts;
go through its citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will be our guide forever.
What a magnificent sight, a site so impressive, says the psalmist that the kings of the earth were scared to death when they assembled around it. But consider also that it’s a defensive site designed to keep the bad guys out and provide a safe haven for the authorized good guys, be impervious to the inevitable attack, and a sign of invincible domination over all others. Wow!
The odd thing is that God never seemed to care much for symbols like that. The great prophets who preached within the walls generally preached against the city, even as they sometimes lauded the temple that lay within. Time and again the city was destroyed and the temple ravaged. Consider that most of Jesus’ ministry was out in the open air of Galilee, and that even when in Jerusalem he appeared to be more comfortable sleeping under a tree in Gethsemane or maybe at a friends house in Bethany. Although his trial was within the city, his crucifixion, burial and resurrection were outside the walls.
With that thought in mind, look at what God says about his city through the prophet Isaiah as recorded in the 60th chapter. It is full of light, God’s glory shines over and through it, nations and kings stream to it, there is no violence in it, no destruction anywhere around it, sun and moon are not needed because God provides the light, and its gates are never shut. No doubt laughing all the time, he gave Ezekiel explicit directions for its blueprint with dimensions that make no sense in the human way of measuring. What a difference! Think of that as the image we Christians should have for the church.
With that image in mind we no longer need fear any adversary, we can dare to be open to all with gates that are never shut, we can be repositories of God’s eternal light remembering that even a flickering light in a broken pot is stronger than the darkest dark. It’s an image that applies in part to the buildings that serve the purposes of the church, but even more to the church as the gathered saints who are gathered not to be separated from the world but to be lights in the world.
For me, that’s an icon worthy of adoration.
CP – Nice vision of an open space that would receive all comers.Food for thought – A small group of friends today discussing the \”church\” in general….we decided there must be something to it – I mean where else would we go to and return when we found out most of the people there didn\’t agree with us, the majority of people didn\’t show up at the appointed gathering times, some of the people there were critical of the preacher, of the church, of the other parishioners, of the liturgy, of the grounds, of the building, of the parking lot, of the children in church, of the children in Sunday School, of the rector\’s forum, of the sermon, of the music, of the temperature, of the lighting…..I mean it\’s a wonder that Jesus shows up all of the time!!
Oh to have a church without gate keepers,What a dreamno gauntlets to runonly God\’s judgment for caredoors flung wide opensigh
Jeasus could bring the notorious woman at the well as his guest.