Searching for the Self: Classic Stories, Christian Scripture, and the Quest for Personal Identity

by Adrian T. Smith

The message of Hebrews is as follows: Is your life story taking you through a bleak and barren wilderness? Don’t despair. Through Jesus, through the exercise of faith in him, you can legitimately escape to the most glorious place in the universe, the epicenter of the entire cosmos. Indeed, Hebrews gives an even better picture of the Christian’s true environment. The sacred tent was temporary, impermanent. The heavenly city is the Christian’s permanent, ultimate, and perfect environment. Chapter 12 of Hebrews uses sublime poetry to open our eyes to this greater environment that actually surrounds us right now. In most audacious terms, it addressed its ancient Christian listener: You have already, now, drawn near to Mount Zion, city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to myriads of angels in victory celebration, and to the assembly whose names are registered in heaven, who inherit God’s promises; and to a judge—the universal God, who will accept you and not condemn you, and to the spirits of righteous, perfected people;