“May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.

Psalm 122:6-9

The writer of Psalm 122 is excited to be on pilgrimage to “the house of the LORD”, the Temple located in the heart of Jerusalem. The pilgrims are full of wonder at the scale, the place, the history, the importance of their city Jerusalem. The Psalm concludes with a powerful insight in verse 9 regarding the city,

“For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.”

The temple these pilgrims love, is in the city they love. When the city thrives, the temple thrives. When the temple thrives, the city thrives! Tragically, history illustrates what happens when the temple and city did not do well. By 587BC the Kings had lost their way as just rulers. The temple priests had lost their way with corrupt faith. Both were torn down by the Babylonians, the city’s people killed, and elite carried off as prisoners.

Christianity has a mixed relationship with cities and society. Jesus loved the city Jerusalem, and it was the place where he was crucified. At times the church has been on the ‘outside’ of society for the sake of justice or even its own survival. At times the church has sought to conquer society with the imposition of its values and beliefs. Baptists have had an uneasy dance with cities and society. For the sake of authentic faith, Baptists promoted separation of church and state.

We have a great insight from Ps 122: the churches we love, are in the cities we love. It is in the best interest of the Church and the City that both do well. When our nation prospers, it is good for everyone, including churches and Christians. When the Church thrives, it is good for society. Faith-based charities are the “largest single category of charity in Australia”. [1] Churches offer significant support networks for the wellbeing of their congregations and local communities.

As followers of Jesus, isolating ourselves from our cities and societies is not an option. This is not the way God in Christ Jesus has met our world. Jesus’ death on a cross is our best reminder of the length God goes in his love. God holds nothing back. In Jesus, through the cross and the power of the resurrection, God in love binds himself to the world he loves. If we love our cities and her peoples, we are to do the same. Where then can our church, work for the shared peace, prosperity and common good we share with our neighbours?

In Him,

Jason

Photo by Rémi Walle on Unsplash

[1] https://www.eternitynews.com.au/opinion/christianity-should-be-central-in-creating-a-new-social-contract/

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