Peas In The City: Part 1
May 19, 2008
Dr. Matthew Sleeth is a former emergency room director and chief of medical staff, who now writes, preaches, and teaches full-time about faith and the environment. He is the author of Serve God, Save the Planet (Zondervan).
This post was originally posted in Creation Care Magazine.
I’m fortunate. I get to preach all across America—from sea to shining sea. Although many towns claim the honor of being where the Bible belt buckles, with 500 churches, Knoxville is certainly in the running. Let me tell you about a recent Sunday in Knoxville. On that morning I donned my tie and Bible and headed off to one of the city’s well-attended houses of worship. As I concluded my sermon, a congregant came up to greet me. “We are the most vibrant liberal church in Knoxville,” he said.
In the evening, my wife and I made our way to another part of town. There, in a Southern Baptist church, I gave the same sermon again. After closing in prayer, a church elder pumped my hand and thanked me. Then, as if to clarify and inform, he added, “We’re the most conservative church in Knoxville.”
On Monday morning I dropped in on the mayor. We talked about the challenges Knoxville faces. Many of the issues relate to energy, the environment, and health. In Knoxville, as in many cities, air pollution is prevalent. The result: for the third time in five years, in 2008 Knoxville was ranked the asthma capital of the U.S. Obesity and diabetes are on the rise. The cancer rate is too high. These problems stem from causes outside of the area, as well as etiologies under Knoxville’s control.
The city’s chief executive also talked about a taskforce that was forming to work on some of the issues. The group would bring together various perspectives and organizations—the TVA, Oak Ridge Labs, The Southern Energy Alliance, and “the church”—if I would care to join. (I would, and did.) What brings together politicians, nuclear scientists, and a green evangelical Christian like me? The peace of the city.
Twenty six centuries ago, the prophet Jeremiah warned the people of Judah to repent…or else! They did not listen. Their city was invaded and off the survivors went to Babylon. I wonder how I would have reacted if my town had been overrun, my home razed, and my wife, kids, and I sent off to Iraq—site of the former Babylonian empire. I suspect I would want to join the resistance, or isolate our family with an enclave of fellow refugees. But that would be just the opposite of what God told his people to do:
Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. Jeremiah 29:7 NKJV
Seek the peace of the city. Pray for it. When the city prospers, everyone prospers. But what is the “peace” of the city? In this instance, peace is translated from the Hebrew word shalom. Shalom is more than the mere absence of conflict. It encompasses—but is not limited to—safety, wellness, happiness, friendliness, welfare, health, prosperity, rest, wholeness, and wholesomeness. To bid people shalom is to wish them the entire catalog of God’s blessings.
The commandment to secure the peace of the city is timely, indeed. Three out of every four Americans now lives in an urban setting. If God wished his Chosen People to seek the shalom of their Babylonian conquerors, how much more would He have us strive for shalom in our hometown?
Now, it is important for us to understand the history behind our current problems. If we do not learn from the past, the past will come back to teach us. It is equally important to have a firm grasp of things as they are. God’s plan is that we move toward the peace of the city, toward the solution and away from the problem. As one writer asked, “What if Martin Luther King had offered us a nightmare instead of a dream?”
Part 2 will appear tomorrow . . .
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[…] This post was originally posted in Creation Care Magazine. Part One can be found here. […]