The Gaze

 "This used to be a hell of a town".  Lou Slade. Earthquake (1974).

"They desired a better homeland, so God has prepared for them a city". Hebrews 11:16.

Ever wonder where all of this is heading?

Often it's easy to get out of bed and look around and reflect on just how bad things have become. Like George Kennedy's character in the movie, Earthquake, there are days when it appears that everything has been shifted out of place or entirely fallen over, and we find ourselves feeling so helpless before such monumental troubles.

Recently, I found myself wondering if I was doing anything worthwhile with my life - everything can appear so mundane and small in the shadow of so much corruption and wickedness - not only in the world, but still within myself - how do we overcome that manner of anxiety and dismay?

What marked out the men of faith sighted in Hebrews 11 is that they were anchored by the fact that they knew something far better and far more permanent was ahead, and that is where they set their gaze -

"Abraham looked for the coming city that has foundations, whose builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10).

Faith isn't about seeking for something etherial and abstract. It understands that the consequence of these current struggles and troubles is a society far more permanent and enduring that is eternally fixed and established by the undertaking of the most high - that is why it is confident.

The revelation of scripture is that the Lord who fashioned and furnished creation to be very good has also been working on what comes in the hour of the 'glorification' (maturing) of that initial work on the day of the resurrection.

When we look at the Garden that was in Eden at the commencement of God's domain, we see, as with the tabernacle and the temple, a foreshadowing of what is to come - a realm where heaven and earth marry in a radiance and culture that will forever glorify and magnify the nature of the Godhead.

Faith, then, opens the window to the most substantial reality that is being made complete in all of eternity, so let's learn from those who gazed up into this splendour - let's keep our eyes fixed there, and then the day to day will truly be do-able.