Homeless

She rises above the surrounding city, growing over centuries.  She’s photographed often on the west façade, but she’s beautiful from one end to the other, from the outside to in. Notre Dame de Paris was built to worship a God who created the universe, and lived as a man without a roof over His head.

She’s not alone. There are beautiful cathedrals around the world lifting their spires from foundations deep in the earth upward toward the Lord of heaven, who on this earth was what we would now consider homeless.

And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. (Matthew 8:20 KJV)

He made a home for Himself in the Tabernacle. His glory shone from the Temple. I don’t recall any other biblical admonition much less command that we build costly edifices to His name. We do so to honor Him, to let people know that He deserves the best, but too often we do it with pomp and circumstance that detract from what He does require.

Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:6-8 KJV)

He did not dress as bishops and cardinals are for pomp and circumstances. They do so in the name of a man who walked across Israel in clothing for which soldiers cast lots. He was dressed as royalty only during His beating.

We don’t need pomp and circumstances when we come to Him. We come alone, as individuals. Since He does own all the cattle on more than a thousand hills, what He asks is ourselves  The buildings in which we worship can neither impress Him nor save us. Nor call any of the world’s pomp nor circumstance. The way is much more simple – and so very much more difficult.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8 KJV)

Then, we depend upon Him to provide our daily bread.

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. (John 6:33 KJV)

And keep us safe for Him.

… for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (2 Timothy 1:12b KJV)

That day, I’ll be at home with Him, no longer homeless.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3 KJV)