Dwelling Places of the Holy

“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!

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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.