Our Neighborhoods

Jeremiah 29:7 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.

A few weeks ago I was sitting with my mom in my parents suburban kitchen with the fashionable country décor surrounding us. I have just recently moved into the downtown area of St. Louis and I was explaining how much I love it. Much to her surprise I told her I could not see myself living in the suburbs until I am much older. The city has become a part of my life that is exciting and new. There are young adults everywhere and people who are genuinely active in today’s culture.
I recently made a trip to Chicago for a neighborhood festival to see one of my roommate’s favorite bands, Over the Rhine, play. We met up with a few of my roommate’s friends from college and one of them remarked to me how much the city had impacted her life. As she grew up in Chicago she thought it was normal to attend festivals and neighborhood gatherings and organizations. She explained that in the city it enabled her as a child to live outside the confines of her house and engage her own neighborhood. I took this and contrasted it to my suburban childhood, things looked fairly the same but as I grew into a teenager, neighbors stopped talking to each other. People waved and smiled, but complete strangers were living 200 yards from each other. The stores that were in my suburban past were dedicated to only helping individuals and make it fast and easy and convenient, only contributing to the impersonal nature of the area.
Do not get me wrong, my childhood and upbringing were amazing and happy. But somewhere in our urban sprawl problem a communication broke-down between our neighbors. As a Christian I at times find this disturbing. We are called to be a community, to live out our vocations as neighbors and friends. Without building those relationships it is much harder to share with them the news of Christ and eternal life. How do we bridge this gap with our neighbors and local areas? Some possibilities would be to join volunteer organizations, become active in area schools and programs, approach your neighbors and find common interests, or organize neighborhood festivals and block parties.
Seek out the peace and neighborliness of your area. Invest in its culture, spiritual life, and future.

Brad Malone
brad@reliantchurch.org
Reliant Resident Field Worker