Fire in the City

My family moved often during my childhood years. It seemed our residences were almost equally divided between urban, suburban, and rural settings. At one point we lived just a few blocks from the urban canyons of Oklahoma City. Back in those days a child could wander freely without the obscene fears infecting our modern society. I visited the downtown district regularly, and rather liked it.

The rural places also had their charms. Frankly, my inner preference is the peace of rural living, and I regard modern urban convenience mostly as degrading. The Bible seems to agree with this. But it also calls us to meet people who need Jesus wherever they are.

In my recent excursions carrying the sign calling for repentance, I felt compelled to visit Downtown Oklahoma City, about 20 miles from here. Aside from one or two vocal interactions, there was nothing remarkable about the experience. I could have been any other tourist wandering the place were it not for the sign. There was, nonetheless, something compelling in the experience.

I can't put into words what that compulsion is. I'm praying about it. Perhaps it's nothing more than nostalgia; I do have a large collection of pleasant memories connected to the place, and precious few bad ones. So I plan to go back without the sign, spend some time walking and riding my bicycle in the area. Mostly I'll keep praying until I find something on which I can act.

That's the bottom line in spiritual matters. You don't have to have an explanation, don't have to give it name, don't really have to understand any part of it. What you must have is a drive to act. Pray with me I understand what God expects of me in this. I won't know until I have gone there and spent time sensing the Spirit. Yes, there are urban ministries at work there even now, doing good things. However, I know from experience they would choke on my message, and I on theirs. I'm not going there with a burden for good works in that sense, though I'm always glad to see them. I'm going there with something harder to pin down. It's about the message laying heavy upon my heart.

Somewhere there is a brightly burning Presence of the Spirit.