But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
– Philippians 3:20 & 21 NLT
We walked down the old streets of Gettysburg, pausing to look at the pockmarked sides of brick buildings, riddled with holes from the bullets that had busted through. These buildings, though their original inhabitants are long gone, still remain, bearing their scars as witness. These buildings have seen some of the worst of what we humans can do to each other.
Walking down to the bottom of the hill we then veered left and walked up a grade and came upon Evergreen Cemetery, where Abraham Lincoln stood to deliver his immortal words, “Four score and seven years ago…”
We cut across the street and looked out over the hill, a scene of some of the fighting, though no major fighting, and beyond that we can see Gettysburg school; buildings and forests caught in the crossfire long gone, and new life having risen up in their stead.
Gettysburg, like many old towns, has been preserved, in parts and pieces that we may not forget what happened there. Now, the sight of so much carnage, the battle that marked the turning point of the Civil War, is a booming tourist attraction, drawing visitors not only from all over our country, but from around the world. You can stand atop Little Round Top and look out over the battlefield; you can walk down Steinwehr street at night and hear ghost stories; you can visit the museums and soak up history about this country; you can visit any of the numerous curated stores, art galleries, or boutiques and see how an entrepreneur has brought their dream to life in their store.
But what attracts me to Gettysburg the most isn’t the shops, or the new magnificent Visitors Center. It’s not the delicious coffee shop, or any of the various eateries. It’s not the shiny new things, but the old that attract me to Gettysburg.
The historical houses that stand there, root us in our past, lest we forget it in our future. Those buildings, wise in their age, more beautiful for what they have endured, than if they were brand new, are what attracts me to Gettysburg.
We will have glorified bodies when we get to heaven, but I don’t know that that means perfect (Philippians 3:20). After all, Jesus appeared before his disciples in his glorified body, and told Thomas to place his fingers in the scars in his palms. Jesus’s body, scarred though it was, told of his great love for us through his sacrifice, and therefore was glorified, even with his scars.
We wouldn’t dream of going around to those old buildings in Gettysburg, filling the holes, sanding them down, and resealing them so that they look brand new. Rather, we leave them there because of the story they tell.
What story does your life bear the marks of? What hard parts of your life define you? Are you trying to spackle over the parts of your life through which God has done the most amazing work?
None of us are spared from hardship in this life, though admittedly, I think the Jews in 1940s Germany had it harder than many of us do today. God uses these hardships to mold and shape us, and yes, to give testimony of what He has done through us.
I think perhaps the world could be a better place if, instead of seeking to hide all of our bullet holes that life has given us, we instead admit that they are there, and tell of the work that God has done in our lives though those wounds.
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