Imagine with me a perfected New York City. A Washington, DC without lying or slander. A Los Angeles full of humble residents and sacrificial lives. A Jerusalem crowded with peace and good-will.

One of my favorite Bible passages is the reading from Revelation to John that we will be reading also this Sunday. Goes without saying that I am especially excited to preach this passage for the first time. It is John’s vision of the New Jerusalem, the holy city coming down like a bride on her wedding day. A vision of the glorious city of God that is the glory of our God. Here, the love of God and the love of the Church (remember, the Bride of Christ) for our God finally meet and are finally brought together, fully reconciled.

The Gospel reading this weekend contains one of the most famous of Jesus’ sayings, “Love one another, just as I have loved you.” Many of us know well the Greek word for love being used here, which is agape, the transcendent love between God and humanity. The love that does not seek for itself return or self-interest but sacrifice and care for the other. This love reigns supreme above all others and we should know well that our Christian life should be modeled on this love, with God’s help.

In the world today, there is much talk of love. In fact, I’m not sure the message of the church is all that compelling sometimes when we talk about love and how we are supposed to love our neighbors. That is important but I’ve been convinced that the church and the world need to hear about hope. Paul in Ephesians 2 reminds that some of us “were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (v. 12).

We have a great witness to that hope knowing what is to come. The New Jerusalem, the coming of God to His people, to make His home among His people where there will be no more death, or tears, or pain. And yet, we have this now, as broken as the world all seems, to live into the glory, love, and hope we have in God.

I pray the hope of the promise of that heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, will instill in you a renewal of God’s love in your life so when you look around running those errands, doing those chores, and being among your neighbors, you will seek to serve the city and all who dwell therein. Amen.

In Christ,

Fr. Zach