“Seek the peace of the city where I have exiled you. Pray to the Lord for that city, because when it has peace and prosperity, you will have peace and prosperity.”
I am strongly pulled into nature; I feel like I hear and see God more clearly in His creation. I have built trails into my back 40 acres to wander and I have a hammock nestled in the woods overlooking the river that flows past our property. It’s a welcome respite after busy days of dealing with people. I feel like I am recreating Eden and “delight” in this natural beauty (in Hebrew, Eden means “delight.”)
But the truth is, God only started with a garden. It’s clear that he meant Eden to grow into a flourishing city. By the time we get to the Revelation, we see the city of God come and rest and rule our world. Yes, Eden is there, at least where it started: the Tree of Life stands in the center and its fruit and leaves gives healing to all Nations.
Jeremiah understood this 600 years before it was revealed to John. We don’t have to wait to bring God’s flourishing. Seek the Good for where you live, bring Heaven to Earth, bring the Garden to the City.
I ended up giving this poster to my daughter unfinished, although I didn’t know it at the time. I hadn’t added the color flourishes at the top or in the wording. I was trying to stay with the theme of green and blue and keep it simple. But I realized later that the image of the city as a plant growing needed the burst of color just like a flower needs its petals. The image works much better now.