The City
Cities are strategic places for the spread of the gospel.
They always have been. The apostle Paul took the gospel from city to city. As early as AD 100, more than 40 Christian communities existed in cities around the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and parts of Italy. By AD 300 half the citizens of that region were Christian while 90% of the countryside was still pagan. Most of Paul’s letters were written to cities.
Cities tend to be places where culture is formed. Many of the spheres of influence emanate from the city, including government, politicians and law-makers; arts and entertainment; business and the marketplace; universities and other places of education; media and communication centres. The river of influence tends to flow from the city to the suburbs and rural areas. The way to transform a culture is to transform the city.
It is not surprising, therefore, that cities have always had an important role in the purposes of God. In particular, one city has been at the heart of God’s strategy for the world.
The power of the city
Psalm 48:1-8
This psalm is all about the ‘City of God’ (Jerusalem). ‘The city’ is mentioned in different ways seven times in the passage. It celebrates the beauty (v.2) and security of the city (v.8). Most of all though, it celebrates the fact that it is the ‘city of our God’ (v.1,8), the place where God’s temple had been built and his presence could be found (v.3), and a place that was under his protection (v.3,8). It was intended to be a source of blessing for the whole world: ‘the joy of all the earth’ (v.2).
Paul contrasts the physical city of Jerusalem with the even greater ‘Jerusalem that is above’ (Galatians 4:26). He sees the Christian church as the new Jerusalem.
In the book of Revelation, John sees ‘the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband’ (Revelation 21:2). The new Jerusalem is the church, the bride of Christ. This is the place where God will dwell for ever (v.3).
The church should be amazing: ‘beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth’ (Psalm 48:2). We should sense the presence of God there, know his security and protection and be a blessing to the world around us.
