A Theology for the City

Craig Brown of City Church East (East Nashville) came to give a lecture entitled "A Theology for the City" at Belmont this morning, and I was super inspired. I thought I'd just bullet some of his points that I can remember.

-The heart of a city will spread and influence the suburbs and country. Take hip-hop music. The main market for hip-hop music is not inner-city urban demographics. It's white, middle class, suburban teenagers. What was a part of the city has influenced the suburbs.

-The suburbs do not influence the cities.

-Cities are where the best of the best live. If you are the best guitar player in Utah, you probably won't be the best guitar player in Nashville. But this inspires greatness. When people are better than you, you are challenged to grow.

-Cities were traditionally places of refuge (with walls and everything). They still are. Cities are places of refuge for the poor, new immigrants, homeless, etc.

-Christ not only came to save the world from hell. The cross was about regeneration, renewal, and rebirth.

-Culture happens in the cities. In Revelation, all of the kings from all the lands are called in front of the thrown to bring the best their land has to offer (culture) as a starting point for the new kingdom being built. If you are involved in the city, you can influence culture, and maybe have a part in shaping what eternity looks like.

-Evangelicals have historically (and tragically) avoided the city. By doing so, we separate ourselves from real life and its tension.

-If all Christians picked 4 or 5 cities to move to and intentionally love on, he believes, cultural shift like we never have imagined before would take place.

-It starts with a garden and ends with a city.