A New Heaven and a New Earth

(Isaiah 65:17 and Revelation 21:1)

[This sermon was preached Sunday April 21, 2013 at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Raleigh on Revelation 7:9-17, Easter 4, Year C.  The context was the bombings in Boston and the factory explosion in West, Texas that week and Earth Day the next day.]

            This past week we have all been stunned by the violence in Boston and the explosion in West, Texas.  In the face of this senseless loss of life, John’s vision in the book of Revelation offers hope that one day all humanity will live together in peace under the reign of God.  But John’s vision extends beyond humanity living in harmony.  God dreams that the whole created order - everything in heaven, on earth and under the earth - will live together harmoniously in God’s loving presence.

 

According to the book of Revelation, an angel gave a vision to John while he was in exile on the island of Patmos.  John wrote this vision in the form of, what we today call, the apocalyptic genre.  The writers of scripture, inspired by the Holy Spirit, were like us - time bound creatures.  They used the literary conventions and forms available to them at the time.  The apocalyptic genre existed from approximately 200BC to 400AD.  It used exotic images and fantastic creatures to depict the battle between good and evil.   Revelation proclaims that God will triumph over the forces of darkness.

Revelation offers hope that human society will be transformed when Christ returns in glory.  Today’s lesson shows the Lamb, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, standing on the throne.  With the Lamb on the throne, instead of the almighty dollar, as is true in our consumer society, humanity will be free from want and suffering, free from senseless acts of terror and destruction.  Chapter 7 in the book of Revelation reads, “They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Rev 7:16-17 NRSV).

Christ will not only radically transform the social order but also the entire created order.   All the creatures will live together peacefully and glorify God.  John hears in his vision, “I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, ‘To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’" (Rev 5:13 NRSV).  This vision echoes Isaiah’s prophecy that at the end time humanity and all of nature will live together in a peaceable kingdom.  Isaiah prophesies, “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.  The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:6-9).  The second coming of Christ will transform all of creation.  Christ says in the book of Revelation, “See, I am making all things new” (Rev 21:5 NRSV).

People often think that this vision of a new heaven and earth has little to do with their lives here and now.  They believe it only has to do with the end of time or with the next life.  God’s dream though actually drives the entire Christian life.  While the new heaven and earth will only be fully realized at Christ’s second coming, the process of transformation began with Christ’s first coming.  God calls us to love one another, because this is the essence of the reign of the One who is love.  God calls us to care for the environment, because God cares for all of God’s creation.  Jesus says in Matthew’s Gospel, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (10:29 NRSV).  God puts humanity into the world to care for it.  The book of Genesis says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Gen 2:15 NIV).

While people debate the extent of our impact on climate change, there is little question that God calls us to care for our environment.  Even a political and theological conservative such as Pat Robertson endorses environmental causes.  Our individual actions may seem to make little difference in the face of such an enormous task but over time and with enough people our efforts improve our world and our pocket book.

Five or six years ago St. Michael’s Environmental Committee did an energy audit of our facility.  The audit showed quickly correctable things such as insulating bare pipes to our outdoor HVAC units, weather stripping doors, turning off lights in unused rooms and changing the thermostat setting at night.  Other items were longer term such as installing energy efficient HVAC units when old ones wore out.  These changes have lowered St. Michael’s energy bill by $5,000 a year and reduced our carbon foot print by 40 tons a year.

If each of us did an energy audit of our home and business and implemented some of the suggestions, we would make a difference.  Progress Energy and PSNC offer free online energy audits that take about 15 minutes.  For only $25, PSNC will do a thorough 3 – 4 hour energy audit of houses that use natural gas and were built before 1993.   There is a lot that we can do beyond recycling.

Spring is one of most beautiful times in North Carolina.  At this time of year, I love driving through St. Michael’s neighborhood with the cherry trees, red buds and dogwoods blossoming and the flowers blooming.  God truly has given us a beautiful world.  God calls each of us to do what we can to take care of this incredible gift.