New Heaven and New Earth
Contemplating our connection to each other for All Saints and All Souls
With all that is happening in the world, and all that feels so very uncertain, I’ve been thinking about John of Patmos vision of a “new heaven and new earth.”
Everything that once was vanishes. Or as John writes it, the former things have passed away. He imagines a city without chaos and without all that chaos there is nothing that “separates humans from one another.”
There is no chaos. No death. No pain. No mourning. The trees in this city have leaves for healing. It’s a place that is so full of God’s light that we can actually see the face of God. The former things have passed away. Those things that we always assumed had to be -- and maybe are still holding onto right now -- are being made new. Everything that we thought we knew is called into question as we peer down from the mountain to see this city that is so perfect.
It looks nice, but it’s hard not to be suspicious. We humans don’t like change. Generally speaking, we are more comfortable with the former things. But, John suggests to us that there is a choice to make. The angel has showed us this place -- this amazingly perfect place -- that could be realized right here in our own lives. We would have to let go of all that we know and choose this possibility beyond chaos where nothing separates us from our fellow human.
All we have to do is climb down from the mountain and walk through the gates, but it is hard to choose something new. No matter how many times God talks about a new thing in the Bible, we are never quite convinced. We are cautious and more often than not that keeps us apart. It separates us from each other.
This vision offers us a possibility of how we might relate to each other and to our world. It's all about how we might become new. As Diana Butler Bass describes in her book Grounded:
We are not only related to other people, but we are in community with all of creation, with the animals who share life on this planet as well as forests, rivers, oceans, the earth itself. Thus, [each one of us] is discovered in Christ, with others, through nature, on the river of change. Everything is connected.
All Saints and All Souls, celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, challenge us to look again for those connections. In these strange, hopeful days after All Hallows Eve, the veil between heaven and earth is lifted enough that we just might glimpse what John of Patmos imagined. We can make the choice to relish in this mystery of being so connected.
It’s a time to tell stories and remember the many people that have shaped us. That community is not limited to those that we knew in life but those that have shared their hearts with us throughout human history. Those people that encourage us to look for more connections and send us searching beyond ourselves for what really matters. Let these wise saints and souls inform how you will choose to believe that a “new heaven and a new earth” might still be possible.
As you consider your connection to everyone and everything, spend some time with this poem by Wendell Berry. What feels like a “paradisal dream” about this vision? What feels possible? What feels hard? How are those things connected to your hope?
Sometime ago I read in a blog about Sandhya Jha, who wrote Rebels, Desports and Saints. Sandhya attends a lot of rallies and vigils. At those events, they started to notice the rituals that “justice leaders [used to] call on ancestors.” They explain, “Sometimes someone pours libations. And other times the rituals include drumming, or calling the names of people who came before in a somber ritual. Sometimes it is simply stating the shoulders on which we stand, the movement leaders who came before.”
Naming is powerful but what Sandhya noticed as how the mood changed. It created more energy and allowed the leaders were able to “show up more grounded,” possibly even more connected to do the work that needs to be done for “a new heaven and earth” to come into being.
Inspired by Sandhya’s awareness, create some space to name your saints. Search for names of those saints who share your name. Search for the saints that share your birthday or interests, and maybe don't let whether they have been canonized or not be one of your concerns. Look for those souls that have struggled for the hope that you dare to dream is possible in this world. Write down a whole list of those that have inspired you. Call out their names out loud and choose a simple ritual to ask for these blessed souls to be connected to your life right now. Ask for their guidance and strength as you seek to march with them in love.
If you are looking for ways to engage with your saints and ancestors for more than one day, I commend to you the wisdom of
who offers the gift of this downloadable calendar.
Or if you would like to go deeper into your encounter with saints, you might consider these resources I’m so pleased to offer on Dandelion Marketplace.
So important and the shape of my worship on next Sunday. thank you.