BitterSweetLife

We Need More Christians in Cities

A popular theme in my thoughts recently has been the argument that Christians should view cities as desirable settings for the gospel and think seriously about living there. Lindsay, Aidan and I currently live in downtown Kansas City. We like it here, and while I miss trees and grass, I'm drawn to the prospect of staying near the urban core and living out the gospel.

Of course, downtown Kansas City is not what I would call a sprawling metropolis - at least not in a positive sense. I guess it's sprawling in that it is not consolidated and buzzing with 24/7 life. (The city planners here are always a decade behind.) However, there's enough culture and community in various sectors of KC (like Westport, the local music/arts district) for me to see counter-cultural urban church potential.

I'll probably "blog out loud" some more as I continue to think about the dynamics of Christianity in the city. Meanwhile, read this excellent overview of "urban church" by Tim Keller. Teaser:

Most fields of work today are dominated by a very different set of answers from those of Christianity. But when many Christians enter a vocational field, they either seal off their faith and work like everyone else around them, or they spout Bible verses to their coworkers. We do not know very well how to persuade people of Christianity's answers by showing them the faith-based, worldview roots of everyone's work. We do not know how to equip our people to think out the implications of the gospel for art, business, government, journalism, entertainment, and scholarship. Developing humane, creative, and excellent business environments out of our understanding of the gospel can be part of this work.