He was made nothing, that we might be one

The late Lesslie Newbigin wrote this regarding true unity: "There is a longing for unity among all human beings, for unity offers the promise of peace. The problem is that we want unity on our terms, and it is our rival programs for unity which tear us apart. As Augustine said, all wars are fought

Sounds great inside church buildings

“But even the most devoted city-lover must admit that Christianity has not done especially well in the great urban centers in terms of making a lasting moral and religious impact on the society, its politics, schools, and economy.  In part, the churches themselves are responsible for this, and hard questions need to be asked about

The American Dream: Is it biblical?

The late, great Harvie Conn offers this incisive thought: “American Dreams can cloud our visions of the city; unexamined models created by our cultural world views affect the facts we choose to see or not see in the Scriptures. Our theologies of the city must be constructed with one eye on the Bible and one

Just a warm spot for troubled souls? Or much more?

Harvie Conn challenges the American church with the following words: “The baptism of materialism in the name of Jesus, the benediction of competition as a way of life, the sanctification of growth as numerical success—all these hinder us from finding the invisible, urban poor and relating evangelism to ‘the underside of history,’ the urban world

Strong Opinions About How to Help in Haiti

There are several things about which it seems like most Americans have a really strong opinion: which part of the country has the best barbecue, which truck is better--Chevy or Ford, and how to help the destitute poor in developing nations. Strong opinions about barbecue and trucks make for interesting conversation, but are fairly innocuous.

It spreads through fascination not force

I was just in the shopping district of San Francisco and noticed several people attempting to proclaim Jesus.  I saw and heard the angry types.  One man was wearing a sandwich board with a lot of words on it, among them: "fornication", "hell", and "abomination."  I watch the reactions of passersby, snickering or simply disinterest. 

The Wrong Victories: A Pattern Since the Scopes Trial?

I don't have a lot of sure answers about how the church ought to be critically engaging culture, but I do know this, we aren't doing it well.  I'm I the only one who shudders when a Christian athlete, upon terrific victory, ties the Almighty Creator of every life to the victory of his or

Grassroots eccentricity bringing down the communist government

Jeb Brugmann describes the social process of people throughout Eastern Europe who combined to bring down the communisit government in Welcome to the Urban Revolution.  An eclectic series of events combined enough peoples' will to make a significant change: “In Central Europe’s cities claims were made through diverse kinds of grassroots association, unique to each

Rome’s Decline: Sound Familiar?

Urban historian, Joel Kotkin, observes a couple of developments that led to the demise of the Roman empire: “One primary cause lay in Rome’s increasing dependence on slavery.  Although always an important part of the classical world, slaves now increasingly replaced the artisans and shopkeepers who had made up an important middle element of Roman

The sacking of cities

Jane Jacobs, the extraordinary writer about urban life and form, makes this incisive statement in her book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities:“There is a wistful myth that if only we had enough money to spend—the figure is usually put at a hundred billion dollars—we could wipe out all our slums in ten