City on a Hill

 We look towards a city on a hill. We strive towards that distant ideal. It calls to us. It beckons us onward. It is a glimpse of what could be. 

In the painting "Aspects of Negro Life" by Aaron Douglas, we see a figure in the likeness of Martin Luther King Jr., pointing towards a city on a hill. In this case, that city represents liberation and equality for Black Americans, an ideal that they strive towards.

For others, the city on the hill may be a Zion community, it could be heaven, or some kind of ideal society. On a individual level, it may be an ideal state of being, perfection, or just becoming something better than we are now. Should we not strive for that city on the hill? Should we not try to better as individuals, families, and societies? 

Yes we should, but we need to be clear about what we strive towards. If not, we risk erring in our course and arriving at a place that is not good. So what is the city on the hill?

For myself the city on the hill for individuals is to become like Jesus Christ. For societies, it is to develop a Zion community. With that in mind, I ask, can things be better than they are now?

YES, absolutely!

That being said, as we strive to become better, as individuals and communities, it must come from a place of acceptance, love, patience, and wisdom. It is okay to want to change. In fact, it is expected of us by God. It just needs to start from a place of acceptance and self-compassion. So look towards that city on a hill, but remember that true and lasting change can only happen through love.