DAY 8 | LOVE FOR OUR CITY

Romans 10:15

NYC is one of the most transient cities in the world.

Especially in my time in ministry, Most of the time, people are moving from or back to Ohio. I’m not sure what’s happened that has created the massive pilgrimage of Ohioans to NYC, but it’s likely that if you meet five new people, one or two of them are from the Buckeye State. I’ve had to say a lot of hard goodbyes, not because of anything problematic, but simply because of relocation. People moving back home, getting a new job or simply being done with the pace and demands of the city. 

But whether someone is here for six months or six years, the mandate from Christ is the same:

to love the city well and that’s because Jesus did, and does, love cities. This isn’t to say He doesn’t love small towns, He absolutely does. But Jesus loves people and cities, especially like New York, have lots of people. 

And because of this, the call for followers of Jesus is to love the city well. This mandate is not based on the duration of time spent, but on our presence in said place. If you’re reading this and live in NYC, you’re called by God in this season to love the city in practical and intentional ways. I know that it can be a lot. The crowds, the pace, the cold, but as Tim Keller says, “Don’t romanticize or demonize or shrug at the city. Love the city, as Christ loved you.”

How do we do this well?

We pray for NYC. We advocate for justice in the city. We give back in service to our local communities. And we share the gospel with those who don’t know Jesus. As we love the city well, we will find more and more joy in the place in which He’s called us to be a light in this season.