A reflection on Revelation 22:1–7 for Saturday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time.
I keep coming back to the leaves in John’s vision. They are for the healing of the nations. After so much violence in Revelation, I’m relieved to find something growing.
I can’t tell how literally to picture this city. John gives us images, and I want to take them seriously without pretending I understand every detail. .
The water comes from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Even the nations’ healing depends on what God gives them.
When I think about nations needing healing, I think about what remains after a war ends: ruined farmland, missing relatives, and fear of neighbors. Some wounds get handed down long after the people who caused them are dead.
I would hesitate to speak about forgiveness before hearing what happened to the people who survived.
The Lamb who reigns is the Jesus who was crucified. His suffering has not been forgotten. I wonder what that means for nations that would rather leave parts of their history unmentioned.
I wonder what I am asking for when I pray for peace. Would I welcome the truth coming out if it showed that my own country had caused the harm?
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