Praying for the city

Sitting on the roof of the guest house (an unfinished hospital), 3 stories above 15,000 people living in tents I am pondering. The clatter of life below is loud, busy and delightfully distracting; a reminder that life in a Haitian tent city is now the norm. Up to 10 people living in one tent, setting up their little stand every day, just to sell enough of whatever they sell to feed their family for the day and buy enough supplies to replenish their independent business for the next day. Is it crazy that in the midst of this intense world, I find an overwhelming peace? That I feel more at home in this place than any other on the face of the earth?  It has been 3 months since I have been here and have missed it dearly. I think one thing that makes it so welcoming to me are the children. There is nothing more satisfying to me in this world than walking through Grace Village and having dozens of kids screaming my name, coming up to give me hugs and kisses, asking where my family is and telling me how their families are doing. They also ask me to bring them bicycles, clothes, and airplanes from the states next time I come. We laugh about our inside jokes from my last trip. I could stay with them forever. In those moments of rapturous joy, it is very easy to forget that their daily life is not so light hearted as our brief meetings on the streets of the village. They work just as hard if not harder than their parents and some don’t have any opportunity to go to school and have a chance of bettering their future. In the midst of these ponderings is the strange truth that I know I could cozy down, make a life for myself right here, right in the midst of this injustice, in the midst of this chaos, and in my overly naive, optimistic mind, could forget any of this sadness exists. As I sit here, I know that I must purpose to live missionally here. What that looks like, other than living a normal life, I don’t exactly know. Except, I know this means to pray.

“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare. “ Jeremiah 29:7.

It is so easy, no matter where we are at, to glaze over the issues, get caught up in our own routine and forget that God has greater things for the cities we are called to and that we must seek its peace, pursue the welfare of the city and beseech our good God to work miracles in the midst of the turmoil.

I am challenged. Instead of sitting on the roof and just enjoying the view, I should be also praying to the Lord on behalf of the city.