aphrahat + rich mullins = pilgrims

Today in A Year with the Church Fathers, St Aphrahat talks to us about being "not of this world". He talks about the saints that he knows, and how they have their eyes fixed on heaven where they are storing their treasures, and they have their deaths on their minds constantly, and nothing in this world catches their attention.

The idea he gives is that they are "pilgrims", passing through this world on their way to their true home. So, I googled "pilgrims" for the pic above. And what I found was a group of people arriving in a new land. A beautiful place that they would call home. A place full of natural wonders and scenic views, which they realize they are responsible for taking care of now.

Those two images side by side lead us to the wisdom of Rich Mullins. Rich had his sight set on heaven. He was eager to go see the Father whom he had loved all of his life. But he loved the beauty of this world, too. He sang of the splendor of America. His songs echo the sound of the buffalo hooves on the plain, the fury in a pheasant's wing, and the way the moon over the badlands is stilled by the whisper of a prayer. He knew there was so much beauty around us for just two eyes to see... and everywhere he went, he was looking. He knew that the Holy King of Israel loved him... here in America.

So yes, St Aphrahat, we do need to keep heaven in our eyes. We need to remember that the best place for our treasures is in heaven, where nothing can steal or tarnish them. But Rich is right, too. We are home anywhere, if He is where we are. Right now, this is our home, and we need to be good caretakers of this home. We should treat it right, and help it grow. We should love this place, even if it is temporary. Because loving our home prepares us to take care of the next one.

Rich said that, as much as he did love this country, when it came time for him to go home, it wouldn't break his heart to say goodbye. That's just about right, I think. Love our home, here on earth, and take care of it as good gardeners, good stewards of His gifts. But when it comes time to go home, we look forward to something far greater.

God, thanks for teaching us to be pilgrims.