New York City Trip

Julie and I ditched the kids with her parents over Thanksgiving, and we had a blast in New York City.  This was the first time I had been there, and I thought this was great timing considering how much I'll be studying cities over the next few years.  We parked our car and crashed at my sister Cameron's place, and we explored all over the city.

I was amazed at the diversity of this huge city.  The sights and sounds are a lot to take in, but I think I was most impacted by the people.  So many different languages were spoken, and family businesses celebrated their ethnic identities through their storefronts.  Affluent and middle class and poor parts of town flowed in and out of one another.  The stark contrast between the upper east end of Manhattan and Central Park was profound... both the buildings and the nature were beautiful in their own ways.  Central park has some trees that seem like they're straight out of an old forest in Lord of the Rings, as if they're speaking to the people who pass by them.

On our way to Wall Street we noticed an amazing old church called Trinity.  I had to go in, and this place was overwhelming.  It's hard to believe men could set out to build such a beautiful place of worship.  The church has a cemetery next to it where Alexander Hamilton was buried.  Also, it serves as a sort of gateway to Wall Street on one side, and a gateway to the World Trade Center site on the other side.  It was impossible to experience these locations and not be impressed by the magnitude of what they represent.

Times Square was unbelievable, as it seemed to test the limits of the types of things that human beings can design.  We watched the Broadway show "Wicked", and I was amazed at the talents that God has gifted so many people with.  I've heard people say that life in this fallen world is characterized by beauty and affliction.  I can't think of a more distinct example of that description than New York City.  Everything there collides together in an epic battle between beauty and affliction.  One of my early learnings from the DMin program has been to look for God in the city.  Many people claim that God has abandoned cities... that they are evil places.  When I was viewing the city through a different lens, I was able to see God's fingerprints all over the place.  God is in the city!