City Transformation

The concept of city transformation is labeled by many as a Church response to the post-modern culture. However, city transformation has been on the hearts of Christians since the mid-20th century. Frank Laubach made his name in Christian circles for bringing literacy to thousands of people in the Phillippines. In his book, You Are My Friends (published in 1942), he writes the following:

Unfortunately we are all to some degree slaves of our environment. We unconsciously believe what our neighbors and our social set believe, and we doubt what they doubt. The only way to save ourselves from a downward drag is to lift the neighborhood and the social set to a higher level. We might of course move to another neighborhood which would uplift us, and many people have done so. But to do this is the exact opposite of Jesus' way. His practice was to go where he was needed most, and begin to try to transform tthe neighborhood. If we are his fellow workers we will do as he would do.

Transformation is not the work of human beings though. It's the work of the Lord. The first verse of Psalm 127 reminds us of this truth:

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

**Are we following God where He leads us?

**Are we trying to do the work of the Holy Spirit ourselves?

**Are we uniting together as One Body across denominations and cultures to be used by the same God we all serve?

**Are we exalting the works of our own hands or are we lifting the name of Jesus above every name?

These are but a few of the questions we need to challenge ourselves with in the work of city transformation.