Why Serving In Our Cities Matters

Houston, Texas, February 2015

I've reached a place in my devotional reading of The Joy of the Gospel by Pope Francis, where he writes about why reaching our cities for Jesus should be a priority. I love how he expresses this and thought you would like to hear it too

"In cities, as opposed to the countryside, the religious dimension of life is expressed by different lifestyles, daily rhythms linked to places and people. In their daily lives people must often struggle for survival and this struggle contains within it a profound understanding of life which often includes a deep religious sense. We must examine this more closely in order to enter into a dialogue like that of our Lord and the Samaritan woman at the well where she sought to quench her thirst." 

Cities are not a "lost cause" or worthy of our fear or disdain. Cities are places the people of God should flock to in order to learn a "profound understanding of life which often includes a deep religious sense."

If the people of God will not go, someone or something else will fill the void. Do we then have the right to judge or complain about the end result?

"Love God. Love ___________ (insert your city name)." This is what the folks of Mission Year do everyday. The beautiful part is, we can too.

Love God. Love Cincinnati.