Look Up, Charlottesville

Look Up

“I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.” – Charlotte Bronte

O Charlottesville, you aren’t a huge city, but our eyes are on you this week. Many are looking, and some are seeing the pain, fear and anger that are the human responses to hate and tragedy. As I am among those looking in, I find myself wondering about you…where are your eyes looking?

When you look forward, do you see plans and protests to bring meaning to life? Are there terrific solutions yet to come and answers to life’s deepest questions? Are you waiting and hoping for evolutionary change to overcome “jogger rage” and the like?

When you look backward, you discover the roots of enmity and strife between people groups: pride & selfishness, the same things that cause neighbors to fight over how often the lawn should be mowed. Striving for greatness, America isn’t any further from the traps and snares of the past…and isn’t any closer to a peaceful society today than 50 or 150 years ago.

O Charlottesville, I beg of you to humble yourselves and look upward! Your help does not come from human understanding and striving. It does not come from laws that forbid hateful behavior. True help is not just being more kind and loving, or tolerant or trying harder! Looking up directs your affections to the throne and the radiant face of God Almighty, who is looking right back at the creatures He loves.

Psalm 121 – I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

People have discovered, overcome and solved so much, but the human condition is one that only God can redeem. O Charlottesville, and other cities big and small, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near!” (Isaiah 55) Looking up, you won’t see hatred, but love; you won’t see tragedy, but comfort; you won’t see yourself, but the One in whose image you were made.

Shalom!

Pastor James Gomez