The Perfect (Modern) City
This morning I just finished a two-part podcast episode from 99% Invisible about the Bijlmermeer, a modern architectural and city planning experiment. I really enjoyed listening to the explanation of the modernist ideas behind the building project, and the story of how the Bijlmer was built and eventually inhabited was especially fascinating. If you are interested in architecture, or want to listen to an interesting story, this is definitely worth a listen1.
Naturally, my thoughts go from the “perfect” ideal of a man-made city, to what the Bible describes of the perfect city - the “New Jerusalem” detailed in all its glory in Revelation 21. I haven’t studied this passage in depth and I’m not going to try and compare/contrast New Jerusalem with the Bijlmermeer; however, it’s super encouraging to have a real hope for the true, perfect planned city where all who love God can come and worship Jesus Christ for all eternity.
And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. - Revelation 21:22
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On a side-note, I’ve been really enjoying quite a few of the episodes from 99% Invisible. They’re very well-produced and most often involve real interviews with the actual people involved with the story, which is super cool. I’m obviously quite a bit behind on listening to this podcast (the Bijlmermeer story was from back in February), but I’m getting more time to work through the podcasts as I roast more coffee and ride my bike to/from work. ↩︎