Joshua 20:1-3 Then the Lord said to Joshua: "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood."*

The Hebrews had a system of justice to handle accidental deaths. While the penalty for murder was death, this was not the case for accidental death when there was no premeditation or malice.

The cities of refuge protected people from vigilante justice. If I killed someone accidentally, I could go to one of the cities of refuge and know that I would be safe until a trial cleared my name.

Clearly we have a different method of justice now, but I love this idea of the "city of refuge." Over the years, I have found a number of "cities of refuge" - places of peace and rest in the middle of turmoil and confusion. (Don’t get the wrong idea - I’ve never killed anyone!)

When my parents separated, we spent weekends and summers with my relatives. Their farm became a "city of refuge." It was through their influence that I became a believer.

My friend Shawna’s house was another "city of refuge." We hung around, watched movies, and helped renovate. I remember one time her father, Larry, gave us instructions to install strapping which would hold up the ceiling, but we couldn’t remember the measurements for the spacing. Instead of placing them at 16 inches, we nailed them at 18 inches. We were proud and showed off our handiwork when Larry came home from work. He took one look and pulled out his measuring tape. His only words to us were, "Don’t break any when you take them down and put them up again at 16 inches."

A few years ago our family needed a break from a stressful situation. We called some friends and asked if we could visit. Their lakeside cottage became another "city of refuge" for us.

I think about these things when our children ask if their friends can visit. To be honest, the timing isn’t always great. After working a full week I’m tired and would rather just not have anyone else around the house. But is my house a "city of refuge" for someone? Could it become one? These questions remind me to have patience and perseverance.

I also think about these things when we watch those home renovation shows. Its neat to see what people do to recapture unused space or renew a tired look. However, is it possible that we are becoming obsessed with our homes to the point where they can’t be "cities of refuge?" Do we resist the urge to invite someone in because they’ll see that our decorating theme is "early chaos," there are dishes stacked on the counter, the chairs don’t match, and the cats have scratched the back of the sofa?

If we wait until we think we’re ready, our homes will never become "cities of refuge." I’d be willing to bet (you know what I mean) that the cities of refuge weren’t completed before they were needed, but I don't think it mattered to the people who needed refuge.

Hope this helps. Be OnFire,

Troy

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ON FIRE is a weekly letter of encouragement by Troy Dennis. This letter published April 24, 2006.