St. Augustine: The Two Cities; On the Psalms: 64:2
There are two cities; the one called Babylon, the
other Jerusalem. Babylon means "confusion"; Jerusalem, "the
vision of peace". Look well at the city of confusion and you will
understand better the vision of peace; endure the first, long for the second.
Whereby can these two cities be distinguished? Can
we now separate the one from the other? They have been mingled together since
the beginning of mankind and they will continue so until the end of time.
Jerusalem received its beginning through Abel, Babylon through Cain. The towns
of stone called Jerusalem and Babylon were built later and it was only to
provide a striking image of these two cities, begun long before, destined to
remain even to the end of the world and not to be separated till then. How then
can we distinguish them now, since they are still mingled?
The Lord himself will show which is which at the
day of judgement, by placing one on his right and the other on his left.
Jerusalem on the right, Babylon on the left. To Jerusalem he will say: Come,
you that have received a blessing from my Father, take possession of the
kingdom which has been prepared for you since the foundation of the world; to
Babylon, Go far from me, you that are accursed, into that eternal fire which
has been prepared for the devil and his angels. However, with the help of God,
we can suggest a sign by which to distinguish good Christians, citizens of
Jerusalem, from the citizens of Babylon even now. What are the two cities? They
are two loves. The love of God makes Jerusalem, the love of the world makes
Babylon. Ask yourself which you love and you will know to which you belong. If
you find yourself a citizen of Babylon, root out lust, implant charity; if you
find yourself a citizen of Jerusalem, endure captivity patiently, hoping for
your liberty.
How, indeed, do men go forth from this Babylon,
which is confusion? That which mingles us with it is to have the same lusts,
and by charity we begin to separate ourselves from it; to be separated is not
to be mingled any more. We may be mingled with it physically, but holy desire
distinguishes us from the others; by the bodily proximity we are yet in
Babylon, by the longing of the heart we are already partly separated.
Therefore, my brethren, let us long for this city
which is our true country. But how are we to arouse in ourselves the love of
this country, of which our long exile has made us forgetful? The Father himself
writes to us from there and, though we have taken a liking to our exile, gone
over to the enemy and turned our backs on our fatherland, by his letters, which
are the holy scriptures, makes us long for home.
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