I love the vision of a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1-6). We have done a superior job of messing up the old heaven and the old earth. It is almost beyond repair. At least a sixth of the world’s population has no access to safe drinking water. God didn’t do that, we did. Climate change is happening at an increasing pace caused at least in part by human acts of deforestation and burning of fossil fuels. Who needs to smoke cigarettes when you can get lung cancer just by breathing? And there is a clear link between the suffering of the environment and the suffering of the poor. The poor always suffer first and they suffer most.
John’s vision is not original. Isaiah first envisioned the coming of a new heaven and earth (Isaiah 65:17ff). It is a powerful vision of justice, equity, public safety, health from infancy to old age, fulfilling work (yes, work can be fulfilling!), and clean drinking water (FREE, too!). The vision even extends to the rest of creation–the animals, the land. WOW! And the best part: God dwells among us. Which means that the vision won’t fizzle out after a few weeks.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait until God’s new creation becomes a full reality. And in the meantime, I’m going to live toward the vision. Since it’s coming, I want to be ready.
40 Days Without Violence 