There are days I wonder what we are doing here in the South Side. Walking down the back alley from our house, I couldn’t help but notice the condemned building that has been sitting there ever since I moved to this community, a real eye-sore to those who behold it. I also happened to notice the broken window and plywood that had been kicked in, wondering how long this empty tomb next to our house has been serving as home to a squatter. And then there is the trash and debris that seems to exist everywhere – toys strewn about the yard, destroyed bags of leaves from the fall, old mattresses crowding the alley, broken down cars and houses that are in need of real repair. As I stroll by these sites with my pregnant wife and our two kids (ages two and four), I couldn’t help but wonder, “What are we doing here?”
In a recent conversation with our intern, I had the opportunity to share with her from Jeremiah 29. Jeremiah, an Old Testament prophet like so many others, spoke out against the great sins of God’s people, that of injustice and idolatry. Due to the hard hearts of the people of Judah, God sent Jeremiah to deliver a message that His people that had been taken captive will remain in exile in Babylon for the next 70 years! This is not a delightful message if you are on the receiving end for God’s people had been taken from their homes, their livelihood and were now living as slaves in a foreign land to a fierce and dominating people, the Babylonians. But even more shocking was what Jeremiah called the people of Judah to do. He writes, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile to Babylon, ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare’” (vv. 4-7). Jeremiah then goes on to tell the people that their cries will once again be heard by God and that He will restore their fortunes and gather them from among all the nations and places where He has driven them.
What a powerful message! Not only is it a message of truth – that they would be held captive 70 years for their lack of obedience to the Lord – but so also is it a message of hope – that as they trust in the Lord, even as slaves among their enemy, that He will restore them and bring them back to Himself. I find it interesting that God called his people to seek the “welfare” of the city… the welfare of their enemy… the welfare of those who enslaved and took advantage of them! This word welfare can also be translated “shalom”. Seek the shalom of the city, meaning, seek the good, health, peace and prosperity of those you live among! The people of Judah were called to do something great here, something that they themselves were incapable of doing. This kind of response could only be manifest in the love of God, for this is the love which He demonstrated toward us, that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). It is also interesting to note that their welfare was bound up in seeking the shalom of their enemy. Sound vaguely familiar?
Back to the question I asked, “What are we doing here?” Why is CLDI here? What is the church doing in the South Side? For what reasons are followers of Jesus purposely planting themselves in this community? At least for myself, I believe Jeremiah 29 has something to teach us. We are here, as the people of God, and in being here we are called to seek the shalom of those we live among. Yes, even my neighbors who seemingly have little regard for the principles I do. And seeking the shalom of our neighbors is nothing more than living with kingdom principles that not only impact our life, but the lives of those around us. In doing so the bi-product is that we are salt and light in a dark world, why? In order that others may see our good works and praise our God in heaven (Matthew 5:13-16). Thus, we are to seek the shalom of those relationships and places of activity that directly affect us – our community, the schools, government, politics, personal affairs, etc., because they also affect my neighbor. Just like the Jews living in captivity, we too live in this world as aliens and strangers; our true citizenship is in heaven and not this world. We too wait eagerly for the promise to come, the full restoration of His kingdom. And in living in the world but not of the world, we do so incarnationally, in the flesh, just as Jesus Himself came and lived among us (John 1:14). As disciples of Jesus then, we will not isolate ourselves from the world, from darkness, corruption and hostility, but rather, we engage it in pursuit of His kingdom and His righteousness, not only for our good, but also for the good of others! Ultimately, to seek the shalom of communities like the South Side is fulfillment of the great two commandments – love God with all of your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. This is why we are here.
By Eric
