Urban Renewal??

Here's some straight talk- fasten your seat belt for this read.

First, what urban renewal and re-claiming AIN'T:

It's not about big political swat teams nor big biz money who are part of why food deserts, lousy water and sewer services, trashed roads and sidewalks, and "moving 'them' out so we can control and establi$h white control of infrastructure and gain ever more power and money...". So much for loving "the least of these" in need who have a different culture or history than their DeFacto overlords.

You may balk at all this but how do we serve the Jesus of the Gospels when we are so removed from the poor He served, the rich He largely called out and the money-changers in the temple when we move away, self-righteously judge and pretend all history sustaining these facts/truths is irrelevant?

So here's an 8 year-old re-post from me re. an article written by another pastor in another urban area of the U.S..

I say we need individual, personal HEART-RENEWAL. What we think about the correct, "right" and best way to "reclaim" blighted urban areas is first about Jesus' claim on your and my heart, attitude and true motives regarding our care and treatment of people, not property they live on for wealthy incomers exploiting for personal gain.

Posted Originally Dec 7, 2017

I just read a basic and at the same time, entirely profound blog post in Medium.Com. I don’t know him or his ministry, but Charlie Mitchell is pastor of Epiphany Church in Baltimore. His comments are quoted, mine prefaced with “GK”.

“We have been fattened and doped up by American Christianity and are too weak to make a case for the Christian faith in the streets.”

GK- I agree. Selfishness, fear, the filth doctrine of “manifest destiny” and “escape to a better life” mean white flight and in some cases, black flight from inner-city “war zones”. White gentrification and “If we can’t make LOTS of bucks out of it let it go to hell with the rubbish who live there” attitude over many years have all fully contributed to the “scorched earth” the pastor deals with daily -that’s my view of things from here in inner-city Chicago. He writes “As I work, my primary concern for Christians who want to serve the city and see it flourish, they must develop one skill. Imagination. If you don’t have a vivid imagination, you cannot be useful or even hope to be useful long term in the city.”

GK- Again, full agreement! How is it we believers who supposedly hold and seek core values of faith, hope and love live lives of unbelief/doubt, ascribe “it’s NOT my job!” distance with hopelessness re. people in poverty stricken inner cities and “love”? Plenty of Christians have taken that to the ‘burbs with them! This is travesty!

He comments further about the lost cause assessment of “godforsaken” Baltimore: “But that could not be further from the truth. We trust in a God who produces rivers in deserts and makes dry bones live again. We must begin to dream new dreams and make things new. Jesus says in Revelation 21, ‘Behold I am making all things new.’”

GK- YES. But first we as individuals and collectives of Christ-followers have to submit to Him making US new! It’s first about location of our minds, hearts, souls, strength, not about geographical location. As we begin to admit to our own apathy, indifference, white privilege, racism, “I got a leg up on these lazy welfare leeches, let’ ’em get a real job” judgments perhaps, just perhaps we’ll face the fact that much of what poor minorities including poor whites have reaped white folks have sown for years. It’s not only a matter of irresponsible louts taking government checks.

So I imagine new hearts, minds, attitudes amongst those who are called to extend GRACE as opposed to self-righteous judgment toward people of color and the general poor in our inner-cities. This admittedly, takes great imagination.

And I now direct a closing thought, not in reference to Pastor Charlie, but to you and I dear reader: social media posts -words-, are no more solutions to inner-city wastelands than reading a medicine bottle label is to curing illness. You move in, ask questions, listen hard, love long and pay the price so others can see the love of Jesus in action. Or of course, you take the road so many do who have the cash to do it- you just move out. -Glenn Kaiser

And as always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn