Seeing an urban Jesus
Anna Smith, Guest Reporter
November 7, 2007
Jesus is an urban being. I feel him on the city streets. I see him as I walk by strangers and peer into their eyes. I imagine Jesus walking in a crowded marketplace. Women pull their young children by the arms behind them, as they try to fight through the crowd. Beggars are collecting money from passersby and searching the ground for dropped coins. Jesus walks through the crowded madness. His sandals coated by a layer of dust. He notices every child who goes by, within the mass, each individual is looked at, as if he or she is the only one he has come to find.
As people begin to spot Jesus coming, a crowd forms around him. Growing in numbers, he sits and tells stories. Jesus spends hours upon hours speaking with these people. He chooses to spend his day with them, advancing their views of God by seeming to be one of them, one whom can understand and speak to them on their level in their understanding. This is how I see Jesus, not one secluded and separate because he is so holy, but one who is in the midst of everything, one who has submerged himself into the same places as the drug users, the prostitutes, the needy, and the hungry.
Jesus Christ did not come to this earth to reside in a temple. Yes, Christ went away at times to pray. He isolated himself to truly engage with God; however, immediately he returned to be with people. Significant times when heaven and earth touched were when people surrounded Christ Jesus. When the little children ran to him, or when the mass of five thousand was being fed.
Have you ever thought that "God's country" can be the city streets and back alleyways, as much as the rolling hills and dense forests? All are territories where God can be ever-present. I think that wherever people are, God is there too. I had a friend who once told me God's presence is everywhere all the time and it is our responsibility to expose it. We must go into the depths, onto the streets, embrace what surrounds us, and reveal God's light that is already there waiting to be shown.
If Jesus were on this earth today, would he be in a serene countryside, or would he be in the heart of the city? God's heart beats for both, but he is not afraid of going into the depths, where the sinners may be. Do man-made buildings and cement walls limit him? Psalms 139:7-8 says that we "can never escape" God's spirit. Whether we go up to heaven or down into the "depths of Sheol," God's presence will be with us. We cannot escape Christ's love and nothing can separate us (Romans 8:38). Take a look at where Jesus spent his time. The cities are still his destination, the people are his motivation, and he sees beauty in the trees and lilies as he does in the people on the city streets.
As we continue with our daily routines and customary activities, remember not to shy away from the unknown. A city may seem really big from the outside looking in, but once in the middle of it, size no longer matters, and God's love is there with you. Venture far into the world while clinging tight to Jesus.