Harbors of Heaven: Bethlehem and the Places We Love

By Jeffrey Johnson

The scriptures are full of topophilia--love of place--in stories of pilgrimage and promised land, shrines and sanctuaries, births and deaths, and of the metaphysical "place" that Jesus called the kingdom of God.

Our lives, too, are marked by the places we love.

In Harbors of Heaven, Jeffrey Johnson draws on biblical texts, his own memories of childhood in rural Minnesota, and the poetry of Wallace Stevens, Vassar Miller, William Carlos Williams, and others to explore our perception of place. This is a book about our attachment to places, from small and familiar corners of our childhood homes to faraway and imaginary lands. As creatures of the earth, we belong to, and feel at home in, certain places: rooms, homes, gardens, landscapes, countries. They are our places of rest and renewal, our vistas of inspiration, the motherlands to which we are true, the places we love and long for and that orient our lives in time and eternity.

Harbors of Heaven will provoke thinking and reflection about our relationship to the places of our lives, enriching our understanding and appreciation of their meaning and importance.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 156101267X
• ISBN13: 9781561012671
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Cowley Publications
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

An encouraging story of pilgrimage, shrines, sanctuaries, and the land that Jesus called the Kingdom

Harbors Of Heaven: Bethlehem And The Places We Love by Jeffrey Johnson (Pastor of Peace Lutheran Church) is an encouraging story of pilgrimage, shrines, sanctuaries, and the land that Jesus called the Kingdom of God. Drawing upon favorite Biblical texts, outstanding poetry from numerous poets, and the self-reported accounts of the authors interesting childhood, Harbors Of Heaven delves into the psychological attachment which we all so seemingly have to places that have special meaning for us. Very highly recommended to those students of the Christian faith wishing for a greater understanding of their faiths encouragement toward the importance and reflection of relationships with all, Harbors Of Heaven enlightens the reader and gives rise to inevitable, thoughtful introspection.

A good read!

As soon as I read the Preface by author Jeffrey Johnson, I knew I'd found a kindred spirit. Johnson begins with a meditation on Henry David Thoreau's Walden, because he lives near the famous Walden Pond. Thus begins his contemplation on the importance of place in faith. The theme of belonging pervades the pages of this book. For this reader, who has hardly lived in one place longer than three or four years, it invites an introspective look at the longings in my heart for one place to call home. Using Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, as a starting point, Johnson examines five aspects of the traditional Christian Christmas story: -- The manger -- The stable -- Bethlehem -- Mary -- Jerusalem These chapters examine each of those elements in the Christmas story to show how place is an important part of how we as humans relate to the kingdom of God. Johnson uses the Bethlehem chapter to compare and contrast Bethlehem and his own hometown of Springfield, Minnesota. Johnson also scatters poems throughout the book like gorgeous flowers in a garden. The poetry of Wallace Stevens and William Carols Williams, along with Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and John Donne, are paired with Hebrew poetry from Psalms and Isaiah to link the themes of the book. This volume is certainly geared toward the contemplative, the literature scholar, the poet, and the student of the Bible. After reading and considering this volume, I am challenged to continue to consider the importance of place in my life and in my spirit. Armchair Interviews says: Any reader will look at the importance of "place" different after reading this book.