God's Concern for the Cities

By Jeannie Lockerbie Stephenson

Two hundred years ago, the world was almost entirely a rural planet; only five percent of the population lived in urban centers. Since then, massive urbanization has occurred. Today, over half the world's population of six billion live in cities, and we now live a planet with 330 mega-cities containing over one million people.

Urbanization is one of the most profound phenomena of the 1900's and a key element in the process of social change. Urbanization affects not only the people living in the cities, but also the entire nation. As the city goes, so goes the nation.

The populations of cities in the developing world are growing at staggering rates due to high birth rates and migration. Every day around the world 155,440 people migrate from rural areas into urban centers.

What is a city?

The word city comes from the Latin civitas meaning a self-governing community. In Britain during the Middle Ages, a city was recognized by its cathedral. The United Nations recognizes a city as a community having a population of more than 20,000.

A city is a crowded place, not just by numerical size, but also by density. While the population density of the entire land area of the earth is just 28 people per square kilometer, the density of some cities is staggering. Manhattan has 26,000 people per square kilometer; refugees living in Dhaka, Bangladesh commonly have extended family living in an area of just two square meters.

Cities comprise a unique network of cultures, classes, and races. The island of Manhattan, for example, is home to 180 people groups.

To many, a city represents the hope of education and employment. Many migrate to the city seeking shelter and opportunity. However, few find what they are looking for and the city can be a place of isolation and poverty. Overcrowding often means water, power, and housing shortages, unemployment and increased social problems.

While the needs of cities are enormous, it is important to realize that a city is a strategic force in reaching the nations for Christ. A strong church in a key city can have an enormous impact on the surrounding regions.

God is concerned about cities. According to Ray Bakke, author of A Theology As Big As the City, the Bible contains 1,250 references to cities and specifically mentions 142 of them. The Lord Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem.

This issue of the Message focuses on some of the mega-cities and the secondary cities where ABWE missionaries serve.

Much of the material in this editorial was used with permission of Global Prayer Digest, a monthly prayer guide to inform and inspire believers to pray for cities and nations around the world. To subscribe to this valuable resource, phone (626) 398-2249 or e-mail: KeithCarey@uscwm.org