Over the past few weeks I have been captivated by the widely popular Netflixs exclusive called Daredevil. Rooted in the Marvel Comics genre, the show is a powerful reminder of the limits of the justice system, our desires to see things put to right and our human frailty in the face of evil. What i didn't expect is the many religious and biblical undertones. From confessional encounters with a priest, debates about the existence of the devil and a retelling of the Good Samaritan story by the lead villain, this show is worth keeping on the radar.
While impressed with that, there was still another developing theme in the show that has everything to do with church planting. One of the ongoing battles between the villain drug lord and the polished superhero lawyer is their pronounced love for their New York city. Both of them constantly emphasize their vision for their city, their love for their city and their commitment to make it a better place. Only one problem; their approaches to seeing their visions come true are completely different and in many ways in complete conflict with each other. Who will out love the other, only time will tell. As I got through the show the theme of 'loving a city' kept jumping out at me . The burden and calling to plant a church begins with a deep love for a city. Although I grew up in Montreal, the past few months have lead me to reconnect with this deep love i feel for the city of Montreal and the province of Quebec. It's hard to explain but I know that this is part of how the journey to step out in faith began. While living in Sarnia, I have also had an exciting opportunity to learn about what it means to love a city. Bev grew up in Sarnia and we have come to really love this community and the people who live here. Her passion for the community led her to start a Playgroup through our church that gave caregivers a safe place to come out once a week. Part of that time was for kids to play while moms and dads made some new friends while dealing with the ups and downs of parenting. It was great to see many people really enjoy this time together. Also, I've had the privilege to sit on the board of an organization that gets what it means to love a city. As the Faith Director for Habitat for Humanity/Sarnia I have learned so much by community leaders who truly care for the city. Last night was my last official meeting with the board. It was one of the many tough farewells that await us, but we look forward to partnering with Habitat in Montreal and other local communities we can learn from. These types of partnership are essential for churches who want to make a difference in their communities and who want to live out what it means to love our neighbors and redeem our cities. As part of a goodbye our Exec. Director Sarah was kind enough to share a heart felt video about my time on the board. She has taught me so much and am so thankful to have journeyed with her. Comments are closed.
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