Encountering the City

I just took a one week intensive...yes, 1 week INTENSIVE!!...on urban ethnography called "Encountering the City." It certainly is convenient to have one of the largest metropolitan areas just a short metro ride away to study urban life.
Now we all know I'm pretty far-removed from city life. Sure, I've lived in Washington DC for a spell and enjoy an occasional cultural event or a night out in the big city. But overall, I get just pretty overwhelmed in urban areas. It was part of the reason I didn't want a vehicle out here. Still, I wanted to take a course in the subject to have a better idea of what ministry looks like and how to evaluate the conditions in an urban environment. Let me share some of what I learned:
* I learned that in the main financial or business districts, many cities require the large high-rises to incorporate a portion of their property for "public space" or "green space"...and sometimes that public space is comprised of their lobbies.
* I learned that in Skid Row, one of the poorest sections of LA, approximately 75% of the residents have mental disorders. Do they end up there due to the mental disorder, or does the mental disorder result from them ending up there? Probably a combination.
* One of the biggest challenges for ministry is not trying to bridge racial barriers, but rather bridging socio-economic divisions. An Hispanic will have much more in common with an Asian working on Bunker Hill, the financial district of LA, than they would with a fellow Hispanic from Skid Row.
* People on Skid Row don't need hand-outs...they need relationships!
* While many may view graffiti as an act of rebellion, we heard from a former graffiti artist that it's simply a means to be recognized. He was an immigrant, knew no one and felt like his life had no importance. "Tagging" walls and bridges allowed him to make his mark and leave some form of legacy.
* Lastly, Pastors and Deejays have a lot in common. A veteran Deejay came to our class and shared about his profession. He expressed how there were people who came into the profession simply for the notoriety and tried to commercialize it, thereby watering down the art. He shared how a good deejay needed to know the music inside-out in order to fit the pieces together in a way that speaks to the listener. He stressed the importance of authenticity...not trying to copy someone else, but being true to yourself and who you're made to be.

While cities still somewhat overwhelm me, I don't necessarily see them as the source of evil and deprivation that I once did. Yes, they can be very lonely places with no real sense of community. But God is present there. We visited a new church plant called New City Church that is really doing a lot to bridge the socio-economic divide. Wealthy loft-dwellers are worshiping with people from Skid Row. There's another ministry in Skid Row that hosts a weekly Homeless Karaoke where people come together and just have fun. They also have an after-school program for kids and a game room for youth. A lady who owns a tamale shop has turned her business into a non-profit to help people start their own businesses and train them in management. So a lot of good things are happening.

And one of my favorite memories from the class...we were on our field trip in LA and I took a picture of the skyline of buildings and sent it to my brother with the message "I'm in downtown LA." Five minutes later I received a picture text of our silo with the message "I'm in Pigeon Cove!" Love it, brother!!

Great quote...

Mixing the church and state is like mixing ice cream and cow manure. It may not do much to the manure, but it sure messes up the ice cream.
~ Tony Campolo