I met with a friend yesterday who is strongly considering moving to Homewood with his wife. They are coming to crunch time on their decision, and he had some good questions to ask us. We did our best to answer his questions from our limited experience (we've only been living here fourteen months). I did tell him that they are definitely needed here... I think just about every kid in Homewood dropped in to visit us yesterday. We need help! My conversation with my friend, and the great need for other people to move to Homewood to join arms with us, made me think that maybe I should post my thoughts for others who might be considering a move to Homewood (or living incarnationally in any city in this big world of ours). Here's some next steps for you to consider if you are wrestling with the ramifications of a move to the inner city:
1. Read a book about it. This was the first step I took when the thought first crossed my mind. Many people have written about their experiences of living incarnationally in the city, and we all get to benefit from the risks they took to put their thoughts on paper for others to wrestle with. I would recommend The Urban Christian by Ray Bakke, Journey to the Center of the City by Randy White, or Sub-Merge by John Hayes.
2. Ask lots of questions. This is a tough one. Before we moved to Homewood, I remember thinking that I had lots of questions but I didn't know who to ask. I could not just take my questions to the average upwardly mobile American Christian, because they would probably tell me I was crazy! The world does not like it when you step off the path of the American Dream (the epitome of upward mobility), and many well-meaning Christians in America have put all their eggs in that basket (choosing to live in that smaller story instead of living in God's Story). I was fortunate in my case that I knew both Randy White and Ray Bakke through my DMin program at BGU, so I drilled them both with tons of questions whenever I had the opportunity. In Pittsburgh, I set up some time with Saleem Ghubril. Don't overthink this step, though. The point is to take the step to ask lots of questions of people who have actually done it (not just speculated or studied about it).
3. Is it safe? No, it is not safe. And that's why you should do it. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is foolishness to the world, and people will not understand why you would put you and your family at risk. "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him" 1 Corinthians 1:27-29. Everybody asks this question, "Is it safe?" It is not safe. It's utter foolishness. But God says that when we risk everything for him, that is the place where we will find life. I am not advocating for irresponsibility or for people to be blindly naive to the dangers of the city. Julie and I take precautions for our family. I am simply saying that, in my opinion, the route of safety and comfort provides more danger to my family than our choice to live out God's call for us in Homewood.
4. What about my children? Moving to the inner city to live incarnationally among the poor people of this world amidst broken systems is the best thing you could ever do for your children. I realize this is a controversial statement, so I'm sure I'll get some comments for my opinion on this. There are many advantages to raising children in the city. I believe that God is rapidly urbanizing the world, and parents who raise their kids in the city are modeling for their children how to navigate complex urban environments and systems. Also, 60% of the world lives on less than $2 a day and the huge gap between rich and poor continues to grow exponentially. God has a huge heart for the poor and marginalized people of this world. Parents who raise their kids among the poor are equipping them in profound ways to be used by God to make a difference with their lives as adults. White, middle class or affluent Americans make up less than 2% of the world's population. Cities are filled will many different ethnicities, types of socioeconomic status, and lifestyles. Kids should not be sheltered from those things, they should be exposed to them as a normal part of their growing up because that is what the world is like. Parents who raise their kids in the city give their kids a global worldview. The twenty-first century will be defined by a mass, global migration to cities, the profound needs of the world's poor, and the rapid expansion of Christianity in third-world countries outside of the US (80% of the world's Christians now live outside of the US, Canada, and Europe). Christian parents are responsible for equipping their kids to thrive in that type of world, and the best place to teach kids about reality is by living in the heart of the inner city.
5. What is God's will for your life? The secret to our ministry in Homewood is that we are being obedient to God's call for our family. God calls people to many different places and functions within the body of Christ. Some people will be called to minister to people in rural or suburban places, with a wide range of needs and cultures around the globe. Nobody should move their family to the inner city apart from God's will for their lives. Seek the face of God. Pray. Seek wise counsel. Work it all out within the context of the body of believers in Christ. But, above all... be obedient to the call of God and the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Find out where God is moving and the Holy Spirit is at work, and go join him there. Globally, God is clearly moving in cities and among the poor who represent the majority of people on this planet. I think it would be a good idea for anyone to live where God is moving.
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