A man died and went to heaven. St. Peter greeted him at the Pearly Gates, and finding his name written in the Book of Life, said, “Welcome. Come in.”

St. Peter gave the man a brief orientation and said, “Explore and enjoy.” The man began walking the streets. It was incredible. Heaven was even more beautiful than he had imagined. But as he walked, one thing began to disturb him: He was all alone. There were no other people there. He wondered, Am I really in the right place? Is this really heaven? Finally, he found his way back to St. Peter and said, “I have a problem.”

“What’s wrong?” asked St. Peter.

“Well, everything is beautiful. It’s more than I imagined or thought. But where is everyone? Where are the Apostles? Where’s the Holy Family? Where are all the saints?”

St. Peter replied, “Oh, they’re all down in hell ministering to the damned. If you’d like to join them, I’ll show you the way.”

For a number of years much of the church responded to the city as if it were being asked to minister in hell. For many Christians, the city really was hell, and the country, heaven.

Today, people are overcoming this anti-urban bias. But you can be committed to ministry in the city and still experience thoughts emerging from long-held attitudes. You might find yourself thinking, “Well, I’m here, but I don’t know if I really love the city.” To serve effectively, you need to fall in love with your city: Learn to love its architecture, politics, history, the people and their neighborhoods.

So how do you fall in love with your city? It seems like such a foreign idea. Here are three suggestions.

First, Spend time with your city. You can’t do this while rushing from one appointment to another in your busy day. Schedule time on your calendar just to walk your city’s streets and observe its people. Be sensitive to sounds, savor the smells, and appreciate its architecture. Walk in different parts of your city so you can get to know it in its entirety.

Second, Look for your city’s beauty. It’s there. Yes, you can find plenty of dirt and despair, plenty of anguish and poverty. There are things in your city that will disturb you deeply. But can you also find the beauty? Most people find whatever they’re looking for. Look for signs of God; look for your city’s beauty (Psalm 48:12-14).

Third, Pray for your city. Jesus said “Pray for those who persecute you.” It’s difficult to pray for someone and not begin to love them. It can be true for a place, too. Pray for your city (Jeremiah 29:7). Seek and you shall find God’s vision and divine love for it.

You can fall in love with your city. And to effectively minister in your city, you must.

This article is excerpted and adapted from Successfully Serving the City. Used by permission. For more information go to: www.SuccessfullyServingtheCity.com

by David M. Best