The idea of the city being a place for us to shield us from needing God reminds me of Genesis 4,and Cain's punishment. God curses him to wander restlessly, but a few verses later he is building a great city. I've always felt that Cain may have found salvation had he accepted his curse to wander in the woods, rather than building his city. He ran to the city instead of running to God.
Excellent observation! Jacque Ellul, in The Meaning of the City, specifically mentions Cain as the model of someone trying to stand autonomous from God!
A Christian artist, I admire says, "bring you poetry and I'll bring mine," so here is something I wrote after a jam packed business trip while reflecting on Eliot:
What have we built doing this busy business
Something eternal or cluttering the mess
Always thinking about our why
Never once lifting our hands to the sky
The thing we provide is good while the goals are super pushy
What is the end, to live safe, "good," and cushy?
Where does it stop? How far do we go?
Are we just friendly people, watching cash grow?
Does this company have depth of fruit that can last?
Or is this a peopled mission till it's time has past?
Our assets our our people lot's of firms say
Depreciating slowly, unless He enters the fray
Who has built a good one outside of His church?
I could name a few, yet all are destined for a lurch
Can we dee Christ in the work and people in the city?
Or do we dread and recoil, yelling "man this is sh*tty"
The idea of the city being a place for us to shield us from needing God reminds me of Genesis 4,and Cain's punishment. God curses him to wander restlessly, but a few verses later he is building a great city. I've always felt that Cain may have found salvation had he accepted his curse to wander in the woods, rather than building his city. He ran to the city instead of running to God.
Excellent observation! Jacque Ellul, in The Meaning of the City, specifically mentions Cain as the model of someone trying to stand autonomous from God!
A Christian artist, I admire says, "bring you poetry and I'll bring mine," so here is something I wrote after a jam packed business trip while reflecting on Eliot:
What have we built doing this busy business
Something eternal or cluttering the mess
Always thinking about our why
Never once lifting our hands to the sky
The thing we provide is good while the goals are super pushy
What is the end, to live safe, "good," and cushy?
Where does it stop? How far do we go?
Are we just friendly people, watching cash grow?
Does this company have depth of fruit that can last?
Or is this a peopled mission till it's time has past?
Our assets our our people lot's of firms say
Depreciating slowly, unless He enters the fray
Who has built a good one outside of His church?
I could name a few, yet all are destined for a lurch
Can we dee Christ in the work and people in the city?
Or do we dread and recoil, yelling "man this is sh*tty"