The Soul of the City
There is something special about the city. Urban space has a life and mind of it’s own. It’s culture, rhythms, colors, smells, and aesthetic proclaim it’s uniqueness. While most suburban towns struggle to understand their identity, the city thrives in knowing it’s role. There is a certain soul to the city that breathes life into those of us who choose to call urban spaces home.
At times, this “soul” of the city restores life. The movement of commuters to and from work, the mixture of art and poverty, & the rhythms of rush hour & nightlife somehow say something deep about the way life is. We are somehow refreshed by the simultaneous chaos & beauty of urban life.
At other times, it is these very movements of the city that steal life as we find ourselves pushed thoughtlessly through the paces of life and work. We are no longer present to the beauty and to the people that make life in the city so meaningful. We move about as if our souls have been stolen from us.
For me, I most find life in the people of the city and their diversity. I love the thought of very different people form very different backgrounds living life side-by-side, learning from one another whether they realize it or not. It’s as if God is most present in the interactions of people who by cultural expectations should not talk to each other, let alone like each other. Life is most stolen from me in the rush and pace of urban life. As I become convinced that I can and should accomplish more, I cease to be aware of what’s REALLY going on around me – where God is most present, where He is at work, how His heart is breaking.
The hope of a project like the Open Abbey is to create exposure to the unique challenges of life in the city, while also giving attention to the various ways in which city-dwellers throughout the country thrive in the urban environment. To accomplish this, it’s important that we establish a culture of shared learning and collaboration at the Open Abbey.
So… in this spirit, what are the most life-giving and the most life-stealing parts about the city for you? Please share in the comments below and thanks for participating in the Open Abbey.
Even when I attempt to prepare myself for it, I still manage to walk out of a Target or Wal-Mart with an impending feeling of doom. These are machines designed to extract money and have little regard for anything else.
In contrast, I get a feeling of genuine warmth every time I visit an independent coffee shop, restaurant or gallery in downtown Phoenix. Yes there are some seriously damaged people in our community, but I don’t wish to be hidden from them. Our interactions are how I continue to be educated in the wide range of human character and spirit.
Life-giving: People, more than any other aspect, the chance to be around and collaborate with people of different backgrounds, with different passions, and different outlooks – that’s what gives me the most energy in the city. And the interactions that ensue.
Life-Stealing: When getting through or moving on to “my” next thing keeps me from seeing/taking part in those interactions. There is a momentum in the city that is great, but sometimes it becomes about keeping up and getting through which steals the life out from under us.
Thanks for your thoughts guys – it’s interesting to me that you both mention people as a life-giving part of the city. It’s really true – especially in the diversity, difference, and complexity of people in the city. That we would look into the diversity of people around us and ask, “what can I learn from them” (as Jason hints at) is really vital to the life of the city and to the life within us. Tyler – I too struggle to be present to the many characters & personalities around me because I am too busy moving on to “my” next thing.