The world began in a Garden. It ends in city. In Houston, I feel like I live in both worlds. Behind our house is a beautiful meadow and park under trees which line Buffalo Bayou. Our daughter cares for the world’s most beautiful Hereford heifer (I admit my bias) and an ornery goat named Bluebell (Dutch Chocolate to be precise). North of me is my neighborhood. East of me is the business center of the third largest city in America.
Jesus left the town of Nazareth where he worked with wood to minister in the city of Jerusalem. Eventually, in a strange irony, the former carpenter who had created trees was nailed to a cross of wood. He came into the city on a Sunday with palm branches waving and children singing. Five days later they dragged him out of the city and crucified him. All the while he was working, making people holy through his own blood. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we must join him outside the city as we face opposition. As much as I love Houston, I know it will not last forever.
Last Sunday a choir from Ouachita Baptist University sang a beautiful spiritual that our choir sings, “I am looking for a city, a city called heaven, trying to make it home.” Is anybody else looking forward to a city whose Architect and Builder is God? How then shall we live today? Let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise with the Psalmist who wrote, “Your praise will ever be on my lips . . .” Let us also do good to others. The chapter begins with the call to show hospitality to strangers. What kind of strangers? He doesn’t say. We could start with all strangers. They are all around us. Who knows? We might be taking care of angels.
