Good News

Jesus is a really big deal. Jesus is amazing. Jesus is what it's all about. I shared that Good News with a lot of people over this past week. I shared that news because I have become reconciled with God through Jesus Christ, and I'm now passionate about seeing other people become reconciled with God through Jesus Christ.

I don't share the Good News in harsh ways, though. I do my best to share the Good News through authentic relationships with people that God brings across my path. And, God brings a lot of different people across my path. This week God has allowed me to have amazing conversations with a couple young men who are successful financial planners living in affluent urban neighborhoods, a pharmacist, a homeless man who is clearly currently off of his medications, a high school student at a local alternative school, a kid from our neighborhood, and many other different people.

I am thankful for each of the opportunities to point people toward Jesus. Sometimes I use words to do that, and sometimes I use actions. The point is to share about and demonstrate the love of Christ according the the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The process requires discernment, but pointing people to the profound love of Jesus Christ is one of my main purposes, not only as a pastor, but as a human being. The gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News. 

A Walk Through East Liberty

I recently hired a couple new staff members at North Way East End, and this week I had the chance to take a walk around the neighborhood of East Liberty with them. As we walked, we talked about the history of the neighborhood, the present realities, and the future vision for the area. We reflected on those things, and we also dreamed about how our church might participate in God's redemptive mission in our little part of the city.

As we walked, we passed many signs of need in our urban environment. However, we also noticed many signs of hope. We saw boarded up vacant buildings, and we saw buildings thriving with healthy businesses and residents. We crossed paths with some of my homeless friends that I've been able to build relationships with over the past few years, and we interacted with church members who work in powerful places in our part of the city. The city is filled with many different types of people and places, and it is our responsibility as followers of Jesus to discern where the Holy Spirit is at work and join that work.

God was at work in East Liberty long before North Way East End arrived on the scene, God is currently doing an amazing work in the neighborhood that we get to join, and God will be at work in East Liberty long after I've taken my last breath on this planet. If we have eyes for the signs of the Kingdom of Heaven, then we see the amazing things that God is up to. And, we discover the purposes that God has for us in this unique place at this particular time in human history. So, it wasn't just a neighborhood walk that we were up to yesterday. We were orienting ourselves in God's epic adventure. We were finding our place in God's Story. And there's quite a story going on in East Liberty right now.

Joining God's Mission

I went on a walk through Homewood last night, as I so often do with Julie on warm summer evenings. We walked right past a group of people who were unloading their belongings from a Uhaul truck into a brand new house. A pastor friend of ours, the same friend who built our home six years ago, was also the builder of the home that they were moving into. We stopped and talked to the new couple in our neighborhood. They're a young married couple who have an infant daughter, and they're really excited to be owning a home in Homewood. We talked briefly about the good things that are going on in our neighborhood. We all have a sense of anticipation and hope, despite the fact that there have been several homicides in our area over the past month. We are active participants in God's redemptive mission, and we will not choose to define our streets or the people in them by what's wrong. We're focusing on what's right with our neighborhood, and we're building on that. 

When you look for signs of hope in struggling urban neighborhoods, you begin to see the work of the Holy Spirit in remarkable places. Just this evening I passed a house where a daughter was sitting on his front porch with his daughter helping her with homework. Yes, there are absentee fathers in Homewood, but there are also many actively engaged fathers who do a good job with parenting. Some kids stopped by my house for an after school snack, and they're excited about what's going on at their school and in their community. Yes, there are kids who cause harm in my neighborhood, but most of the kids love their neighborhood and they contribute to the fabric of the community. Families are moving in. Residents who have been here for a long time are enjoying contributing to things getting turned around here, and they're welcoming new neighbors. We look out for one another. We're not forcing anyone out. We're working together as we participate in God's Story as it is manifested in our own streets and homes.

God was at work in my urban neighborhood long before I arrived here, and God will always be at work going forward. Transformation is a process that takes time, and it also requires presence and patience. Simple solutions and slick programs don't work in a neighborhood facing complex problems. Neighbors working together, building meaningful relationships, and rallying around our community are what's important. God is at work in all of those things. I am thankful to be a participant in God's grand narrative. 

Encouragement

A church member has been sending me encouraging text messages and Bible verses over the past couple of weeks. That has encouraged me to strengthen him as he is navigating through a new and challenging season of life. The body of Christ works so well when we build each other up. God's mission is too important for followers of Jesus to be tearing one another apart. Regardless of issues that divide us in our culture, it is important for us to be unified. I have been experiencing that with the friendship of another brother in Christ over the past couple of weeks. I'm very thankful that God has brought so many amazing people into my journey of life.  

A Cold Bottle of Water

Young people in Pittsburgh regularly camp out over night or arrive early in the morning in order to be first in line for new shoes that are released in shoe stores in East Liberty. This happened this morning. As I was on my way to church at North Way East End, there were a group of people waiting in line for shoes. I've been encouraging our church to think of creative ways to reach out to people when these events happen. We've discerned that the best thing to do is to just stop and talk with people. We get to know their stories and ask some questions about the shoes that they are waiting in line for. The church had some left over bottles of cold water from an event that we had earlier in the week, so this morning we visited our friends with the gift of water. We invited some of them to church. They may or may not attend, but it's important for us to take the time to build the relationships. God can use little steps of faith to accomplish his amazing purposes.

A Time for Prayer

Julie and I took a walk tonight, and we stopped at the place where the shooting occurred last night so that we could pray. As I blogged about in my previous post, it is good for followers of Christ to reflect on the pain of violence but it is also good for followers of Christ to take action. Action for Christians occurs in many different ways. For us, tonight, it was a prayer walk. We are praying for transformation and healing in the streets of our little part of the city. We pray that our neighborhood will be a place where kids can safely play and ride their bikes. We pray that our streets would be a place where people can work, raise families, and grow old with one another. We are seeking God's shalom in our city.

I Heard Someone Get Killed Last Night

Last night at around 9pm my wife heard a significant amount of gun shots close to our house. When she turned on the news later in the evening she learned that a man had been shot and killed very close to our home. I was visiting my parents north of Pittsburgh when all of this happened last night, so I wasn't aware that anything had gone on. I arrived home after everyone was asleep for the night. This morning when I woke up Julie and I started our day as we normally do by discussing events from the previous day and talking about our plans for the current day. Julie kind of started our morning conversation with, "I heard someone get killed last night." My heart sank. I'm not desensitized, even though it's been a violent summer in Homewood. It hurts.

I'm sad for a neighbor who lost his life. I'm sad for his family. I'm sad that one person would choose to take another person's life. I'm sad for my neighborhood. I'm sad for my city. I'm sad for a culture of violence. I'm sad that I have to have conversations with my wife and children about how to process through the pain of violence. Just about a month ago another man was killed right in that same spot. It was heartbreaking for us then, as well. One of the children in our neighborhood was traumatized when that shooting happened because he was there and he saw the body. I tried to encourage him to talk about it. A unique role that I have as a pastor in my neighborhood involves helping people to heal from the pain of violence. Sometimes that even involves helping my own family to process through things.

So, how do we respond? I must turn to God in times like this. I believe that God wants my heart to break. I believe that God wants me to turn to him in desperation, through prayer, reading the Bible, writing and reflecting, and, in general, hearing from the Lord. However, pain and drawing close to Jesus in times of need must always lead me back into action. I want to passionately live out Jesus' ways in my neighborhood at all times and in all places. God has called me to enter into people's pain, and it often breaks my heart, but I don't stay in those places of despair. I become empowered by the Holy Spirit to act. I want to love my neighbors well. I'm inspired to mentor even more young people through LAMP. I am empowered to serve others as I listen to their pain and help to point people to Christ. I am equipped to provide strength for my family, even though God has given our family a challenging calling.

I will not become numb to the violence in my city. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I will stand up and do something about it. I will not do it on my own. God is on a mission to redeem the people in my city at all times, and I am just a small participant in that mission. But, it is a profound mission. It is a meaningful mission. It is an important mission. The gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News. There is hope. Even in the midst of the most dire circumstances, there is hope. We may live in a present evil age, but the Kingdom of God is here. My prayer for my family, my neighbors, my city, and the world, are for God's divine peace to reign in powerful places and powerless places.