Closest to God

Many gardens display this plaque, "One is closer to God in a garden, than anywhere else on earth." Certainly the peacefulness of a quiet place helps us focus on God and listen for God's voice. In that way, the saying holds true.

But biblically speaking, I'm not so sure. Creation starts in a garden, but ends in a city. Eden provided the first home for humanity, but God drove us from there in our sin, so we would not partake of the tree of life and live forever in our brokenness. When heaven is drawn for us in Revelation, we find the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven as the Bride of Christ. A city.

People built cities to live together. Humanity is the crown of creation, as God created us in God's image, male and female. As creations in the image of God, inhabited by God's spirit, the more people around, the more we are present with God.

The noise of the city disturbs our quiet reflections, and yet God also loves the poor, so God is surely present in the squalor of urban despair.

We just need eyes to see. We easily see God in the beauty of plants and trees and flowers and swans swimming peacefully on a quiet pond. But if we really look with God's eyes, we will see God in the faces of every passerby on a city street, every child jumping rope in the alley, every elderly man sitting on a park bench, every woman dragging her children to the grocery.

We can find God anywhere we look. Try looking at your neighbors more closely.