“For thus says the high and lofty one
who inhabits eternity, whose
name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with those who are
contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to
revive the heart of the contrite.”
— ISAIAH 57:15 (NRSV)
The nature of God is manifest over the
dwelling places of the Almighty – YHWH inhabits eternity and broken beings.
How could two places be any more distant in
actuality – the purity and beauty of eternity and the embodied imperfection of
brokenness? Yet, God dwells in both. Such is the integrity of the Godhead that
the Spirit of the Lord can be in dichotomous places because something links
both places – the desire for righteousness.
Joining Heaven and Earth – Bringing Heaven to Earth
God’s will is made manifest in the bringing
of heaven to earth – in the joining of heaven and earth. Such is the integrity
of the Creator God; we must know it to be true. God designed life to abide by
The Rule of God – the perfection of love made in the image of The Divine.
Now, how are we to reconcile the issues of
God’s perfection with the aspect of broken humanity? How do these go together?
Righteousness: The quest for
righteousness.
It has to be the answer we are searching
for. The Divine cannot dwell where there isn’t perfect intent. That intent is
met in someone who says about themselves “I’m a sinner” – and sees in
themselves, a sinner.
The polar opposite of righteousness is sin.
Yet a sinner is welcome with God – and God comes inside them – when that sinner
abides to the truth: he or she is broken and is necessarily contrite within
themselves – in the sight of a pure and wholly awesome God.
Joining heaven and earth is bringing heaven
to earth – the will of God – as it is brought about in one human being; in one
who knows God’s truth – how manifestly other-than they are compared with God,
even though they are made in the image of God. They, who know they are
ever-so-broken-and-needy, have God dwelling in them. One would need to have experienced this truth to know the power resplendent in knowing how
a filthy creature has been forgiven, cleansed, renewed, regenerated!
***
God dwells in eternity and in broken beings.
He, whose name is “Holy,” connects both – eternity with the broken being. That
is good news. Grace pervades both – eternity and the broken being. For us, it
is joy that we are broken, because we are filled – cracked and all – with the
Light of God.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.
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