Monday, May 19, 2008

Taking the city for God

Abmo started this meme, thoughts sparked by a post of Heather's. It asks what a city would look like if it really were taken for God. If the whole city suddenly (or even gradually) became 100% really Christian (you define that in the post). I like a lot of what Abmo had to say on the subject. Heather said, that that city would be a ghost town--because we'd be sent. I'm going to be contrary and say that that city would explode in population.

Speaking as a parent, that'd be a city that would take care of its kids. Yes, we're sent to make disciples, and one of the first places that most of us are sent to do that is in our own homes. Every day, more sinful people are born into this world that need the love of Jesus. That would a city that understood that the most fertile time to tell someone about Jesus is before they're twelve years old, and that if you start actively discipling people in pre-school and grade school then you've usually saved yourself a lot of grief and heart-break later on. There would churches that LOVED their kids. Encouraged, interacted with and answered their questions. Parents, grandparents and communities that loved worshipping WITH their kids and loved teaching their kids to worship, and didn't just warehouse the kids while the adults "had church."

This would be a city where parents actively loved their kids and demonstrated how to live a God honoring, Christ-abundant sort of life seven days a week. There would be parks, sidewalks, and bike paths and affordable public transit and it would be easy and safe for kids to be outside LOTS, honoring God with their bodies by playing hard and just being kids. People would understand that we honor God by really nurturing the minds he gave us. The schools would be well supported. There would be plenty of volunteers to help kids who needed extra help. Art and music programs would flourish as artists and musicians trained up the next generation. No kid would be sent off in the morning without breakfast, or be unable to learn because she was worried about whether the heat was going to be able to be on this week, because he was thinking about the fight his parents had the night before. Teachers would be recognized and honored and wouldn't have to teach to any damned standardized tests.

And you know what? This would all make this a great city to live in. It would win awards like "Most bike-able city in America (or Australia, or whatever)" and "Most Parent-Supported School District." That city would GROW. A church and city that understands that it is sent first to the next generation would truly be the light of Christ's city on the hill.

2 comments:

Delirious said...

Interesting post! I think this kind of city would be what has been referred to as a "Zion" society. That would be one where people were pure in heart and who loved and cared about each other, whether they were family or not, or even knew each other. I think that would truly be a heaven on Earth. :)

And on an unrelated note....Congratulations! Your answer won in Jon's apples to apples game! We await your adjective :)

Unknown said...

So true! I'd also like to add that it would be a City which had lots of kids! It's one of my daily heartbreaks to see my metropolitan area become less and less "kid tolerant" by the day.