The perfect world?

Max K is one of the loveliest, most sparkly packages of tech-cool dynamite operating in the local space. She's petite, much smaller than I am, but wow, her energy and ideas make her glow like a Catherine Wheel wherever she is.

Being a seeker of fascinating people and interesting conversation, I managed to pin her down for a one-on-one coffee date. Lucky me :) She's a natural mentor and provocateur of growth, so we ended up having some great conversations about where I wanted to be heading and what I wanted to do with my life. I remember saying to her that one of the things I'm most passionate about is social justice, so I'm currently considering career paths in that field. [She laughed and said, "Yeah, social justice is incredibly sexy, but maybe you could be more effective within other fields."]

Just as we were about to wrap up a longer-than-expected conversation, she suddenly stopped me and asked "What does your perfect world look like?"

Struck by the newness of this profound question, I paused and then mumbled off some stuff about an equal opportunity, democratic, financially sustainable world where people were accepted by one another. Blah blah blah blah. You know, all the cool things you've heard everyone else is fighting for. I was actually just throwing words together at the spot - and Max could tell this.

"No, seriously, what does your perfect world look like? If nothing was broken, if nothing needed fixing, how would people treat each other? The environment? Countries? You need to know what it is you're hoping to bring about so that you have something to fight for."

Sheesh. On my drive home, I tried to figure out why I couldn't find the words to describe the perfect world I could feel I believed in, the perfect world that was lying unexpressed in my heart. Whatever I came up with, however, kept on being taunted by the knowledge that this side of heaven, there would be no perfect world. Due to the fallibility, greed, sinfulness of mankind, nothing will ever be perfect.

And then the words came:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” - Revelations 21:1-4

My perfect world, the one that was haunting the poorly expressed one I shared with Max, looks like the new heaven and the earth God has promised us. God has already perfectly described it for us in His Word. In my perfect world, there will be NO death or mourning or crying or pain. It will be a place where God and man live in perfect harmony, man forever glorifying God like he was created to be; and God being man's God.

Max's last point hit again: "If you know what your perfect world is, then you know what it is you're striving for."

And now I'm sitting with a question of my own: "If my perfect world is primarily one where people know God, not one necessarily marked by social constructs such as democracy, equality, financial security, then why aren't I doing more to further this goal, instead of other 'perfect worlds'?"