PATRICK BUTLER: The Secret of God's Burden For Your City?

11 August 2010

Under The Waterfall:

    What, may we imagine, is God’s burden for the city we live in, or near?  Perhaps this is not as complicated as it may seem. The answer may simply be that the city fulfills the destiny God has planned for it.

  But this conclusion, I think, poses a number of questions that must be answered. First the question must be settled, “Is there a God?” There is one of two choices it would seem. “Yes” and “No.”

   For the purposes of understanding the specifics of what God’s “burden” may be, an answer of “Maybe God exists” is not going to get us far. If God’s existence is a “maybe” than his burden for the city is also “maybe.” That’s pretty nebulous. First things, first; those that seek God, it says,  must believe that God exists and will impart wisdom.

    So when our city is a mess and people ask, “why does God let this happen?” the next question should be, “did we believe God existed in the first place?” Is that not the beginning of wisdom?

   If there is a “yes” answer to the question of God’s existence, here’s another thought; if we agree there is a God and he carries a burden for our city what does that mean as far as our responsibility to recognize what that  burden is?     

   Whoa. Responsibility?  Suddenly this crosses the line for those who just wanted a nice answer to a curious spiritual question, to one that could be implying a sort of willful ignorance. This seems to lead to a more serious question, “What are the consequences, or results,  to willful ignorance?”

   Whoa, again. Consequences? What is this, condemnation?  Legalism? Didn’t Martin Luther die for these sins?

   OK. Hang on for just a moment, please, and take another look at the nature of “consequences.”  It seems that every moment of every day holds the results – the consequences – of choices.

    The admonition that we should not, “live in the past” does not seem exactly true or even a good philosophy. Isn’t the moment we are now living in the result of choices made in the past? Perhaps choices made in the last hour. Or even the last five minutes?

  It’s just a thought, but if you just argued with your spouse and they left hurt or angry five minutes ago, the result  may be a strained atmosphere in the room.

   Extrapolate that thought to a city of tens of thousands, or even millions where people are living out the results – the consequences – of their thoughts and actions. I can just see their collective choices colliding in their neighborhoods and the air we live in, some good and bad.

 The importance of an individual capturing their private thoughts so they dwell on good thoughts suddenly seems to become more essential to the good of the whole , not just one’s personal life. Would that not be part of the responsibility of living in community?

   “What, infringe on my personal freedom?”

     Never. But we’re all living with the consequences.

  So back to the city. God’s destiny for a city seems to be for the people living there to make the right choices in any given situation. People with a lot of power in a city are held to a greater responsibility, because their choices affect more people. 

   There are right choices, make no mistake. For instance, don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t rob. Don’t prey on the weak. Don’t covet the neighbor’s spouse. Don’t murder. Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God. Against such things, it is said,  there is no law. 

     If this sounds too stringent for a 21^st century mindset, try the simple version; “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind and soul and your neighbor as yourself. This sums it all up, Christ said.

  This would appear to be the burden God carries for any city. It’s simple, really. But please remember that “simple” and “easy” are not the same.

  If this is an answer to the question of what God’s burden for our city is, the next question would logically seem to be, “What’s the holdup?’ 

This is a great question. Why not ask God that one yourself?