Two Shining Cities

Walking as pilgrims toward the Heavenly Jerusalem

07/24/2020

Jeremiah 3:14-17 Return, rebellious children, says the LORD, for I am your Master; I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan, and bring you to Zion. I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart, who will shepherd you wisely and prudently. When you multiply and become fruitful in the land, says the LORD, They will in those days no longer say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD!” They will no longer think of it, or remember it, or miss it, or make another. At that time they will call Jerusalem the LORD’s throne; there all nations will be gathered together to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem, and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.

This morning I would like to quickly compare and contrast two stirring speeches and even more quickly draw a Christian conclusion. One of Ronald Reagan’s most memorable speeches was his farewell address, where he mentioned the “shining city on a hill.” Do you remember that speech in 1989 from the Oval Office? Ending his second term, the Gipper said: ‘I’ve spoken about the shining city all my life…it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace.”

Reagan went on: “And if there had to be walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here." And then the 40th president of the United States concluded: “And she’s still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.” What I love about that speech is how balanced it was: recognizing the value of walls but also warmly welcoming everyone. That was Reagan’s America: a shining city on a hill.

Now, contrast that with Jeremiah’s speech – or better his prophetic oracle – in the first reading today. The Old Testament prophet says: “I will take you one from a city, two from a clan, and bring you to Zion.” He continues: “At that time they will call Jerusalem the Lord’s throne; there all nations will be gathered to honor the name of the Lord at Jerusalem, and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.” Did you catch some of the similarities in the two speeches? Jeremiah is talking about Jerusalem and Mt. Zion, which was built on a hill, about 2,500 feet above sea level. Jerusalem was Jeremiah’s shining city on a hill, where all the nations would be welcome.

But what was happening to the earthly Jerusalem during Jeremiah’s day? It was being besieged and ultimately destroyed by the Babylonians. In other words, Jeremiah’s Jerusalem was not enjoying a period of prosperity like America reveling in the Reagan Revolution. Rather the earthly Jerusalem was a heap of ruins. Jeremiah’s shining city on a hill, therefore, would be a new Jerusalem in the future, with arms open to welcome the world. Indeed, this shining city on a hill would not be found anywhere on earth, but only in heaven.

So we read in the last book of the bible, Rev. 21:1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” So, where is Jeremiah’s shining city on a hill? Is it in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel? Is it in Washington D.C. the capital of the United States? Is it Fort Smith, the capital of the River Valley? No, it’s in heaven. That’s why in Phil. 3:20, St. Paul insists: “But our citizenship is in heaven.” That’s the contrast: Reagan’s shining city is on earth; Jeremiah’s shining city is in heaven.

Now let me draw a Christian conclusion from this comparison and contrast. Ask yourself today: to which city on a hill do you have a stronger allegiance: the earthly city or the heavenly one? If someone asks you if you are a Republican or a Democrat, perhaps the best answer is, “I am a Christian.” That reminds me of Humphrey Bogart’s clever answer in Casablanca, when Captain Strasser asked him, “What is your nationality?” He replied, “I am a drunkard.” I like that answer because Catholics are often accused of being drunkards, and priests in particular.

Do you get more upset about what’s going on in earthly cities (like Portland) and forget about our citizenship in the heavenly Jerusalem, and its earthly manifestation, the Catholic Church? Do we read the Bill of Rights more religiously than we read the Bible? Are we more aware of the history and presidents of our country than the holiness and the popes of the church? St. Augustine commented: “Two loves built two cities,” and by that he taught that whichever city we love more is the city that we are building up more.

My friends, we are pilgrims walking toward one of two shining cities on a hill. Our feet are either carrying us to the earthly city, like Jerusalem or D.C. or Fort Smith, or our steps bring us closer to that heavenly Jerusalem, which we already enjoy every time we gather for the Eucharist. And as you compare and contrast these two cities on a hill, here’s one more thought. Reagan’s farewell speech was actually written by Peggy Noonan; Jeremiah’s speech-writer was the Holy Spirit.

Praised be Jesus Christ!