Fulfilling the Mission in Urban Areas

By: Rev. Scott Armstrong

Key Verse: “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” – Jeremiah 29:7 NIV

Did you know that 4.4 billion people around the world live in cities? By 2050, the urban population will more than double, at which point 7 of 10 people will live in cities. Megacities like Tokyo, Sao Paolo, and London get a lot of the attention, but also think of cities in our region like Mexico City, Managua, Port-of-Prince, and Kingston.

It is increasingly vital that churches figure out how to minister creatively and effectively in urban areas.

The prophet Jeremiah finds himself right in the middle of a heart-wrenching time in Israel’s history. They had been forcibly deported from Jerusalem to the epitome of evil: Babylon (v.4). Surely the Lord would want them to preserve their culture and stay far away from all the sinful Babylonians, right? And assuredly this would just be a short-term stay before they could get back to normal, right?

God’s message to them is shocking. The Israelites should build houses, plant gardens, and settle down (v. 5). Their families would be there for generations (v. 6). Most importantly, they were not to view their new community as the enemy but intercede for it and seek its well-being!

Our tendency as a Church is to view the city around us as a den of poverty, crime, and violence. Those things exist, and we indeed should lament and seek to find solutions to them. However, God loves the city. God. LOVES. The City. And just as the Israelites in 586 B.C.E., we have been sent to the city where we live today with a purpose.

When was the last time you cried out to the Lord on behalf of your city?

Prayer: Father, I admit there are parts of my city I would much rather avoid. But I know you have me here for a reason. Bring peace to my city. And use me to make that happen.