City of God

Augustine wrote a book called the “City of God.”    In this book, Augustine spoke of two cities.  The “City of God,” hence the title, and the “city of man.”  The idea, without ruining the book if you ever want to read it, is that there are two spiritual powers that we as Christians must contend.

In one sense, we belong to the “city of man.”  We live, drive, parent, work, and mow our lawns on an earthly dwelling that operates according to principles that we all understand relatively well.  Prior to coming to faith, we got comfortable living in this city.

However, there is another city, the “City of God.”

Augustine didn’t come up with this concept on his own; he totally plagiarized the idea from the Bible.

“On the holy mount stands the city he founded;

 the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

 Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah”

(Psalm 87:1–3 ESV)

Well, maybe he didn’t “plagiarize.”  I think he may have cited Psalm 87 a time or two.

Psalm 87 reminds us that there is another city.  As followers of Christ, we are citizens of that great city as well.

It is the place that God loves more than any other because it is the city where He rules.  The citizens there learn from His Book; they walk with the Ruler of the city, and they enjoy seasons of worship and sweet fellowship with His Son.  There they study, sing, learn, and enjoy the company of the King.

But we must all still maintain our address in the city of man, the city of our birth and a place that we are, unfortunately, relatively comfortable.

It reminds me a little of the Baptist Fellowship snowbirds.

We, like many New England churches, have some folks who will attend church at Baptist Fellowship in the spring and summer but will flow away like snowbirds to places like Florida in the late fall and stay through winter.  Most of them attend another church while they are away.

I like to think that Baptist Fellowship is their home church, but I suppose the churches that see them go in the spring and come back in the fall probably think the same thing.

They can think that all they like, I’m still going to welcome them “home” in the spring.

Nevertheless, this does illustrate how one person can be a parishioner of two churches, a citizen of two cities.

As Christians, we are citizens of two cities.

And we must make sure we regularly visit the “City of God” while we attend to the duties in the “city of man.”

In one sense, we are “spiritual commuters.” 

We live, work, parent, and mow our lawns in the city of man.  But there is a shining city, the City of God, that could use a visit.

Maybe its time to schedule a trip.

Keep safe, be well, and stay encouraged.

Brian