Last night, at our little church plant, we looked at the third value we’re hoping will shape our experience as a local church in a particular locale that God has called us to. We entitled the value, “Neighbourhood Focused”. One of the historical examples that has really captivated me as I think about what a neighbourhood focused church would look like is the example of the early church that sociologist, Rodney Stark, highlights in his book, The Rise of Christianity. Here’s a quote I shared with our group last night:
Christianity served as a revitalization movement that arose in response to the misery, chaos, fear and brutality of life in the urban Greco-Roman world… Christianity revitalized life in… cities by providing new norms and new kinds of social relationships able to cope with many urgent urban problems. To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachments. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family. To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity. And to cities faced with epidemics, fires and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective… services.
This morning I opened up Romans 13 (I’ve trying to read through Romans very slowly since the beginning of the year to have it really sink in – because I’m a bit slow) and was immediately confronted with these verses:
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,”and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Rom 13:8-10)
What would it look like for churches to really love that way. To do our utmost to see that no harm comes to our neighbours (v10)? Christians have lived like this in history past – perhaps it’s time for a new gospel movement that bears the fruit of deep, tangible love for our neighbours. May God in Christ, by the power of the Spirit, help us.
