Nobody gets up early on Saturday mornings in NYC, so our local tennis club opens its doors free to kids from 6am-8am.  Kendra (age 7) and I showed up for practice, but it was cancelled, so I suggested we head to the local diner for breakfast.  It was just the two of us, the manager of the diner, and two prostitutes talking loudly about how much they had made that night, what cities were the most profitable for them, and the occasional vulgar comment about who they'd been with.  I became pretty angry that, at least, they could speak quietly so my little girl didn't hear about their nightlife.  The manager apologized to me and I assured him there wasn't much he could do anyway.  As I was paying the bill, and before I could stop her, Kendra walked over to them and said, "I was just thinking, both of you are very pretty, and you have a very beautiful smile."  Surprised at her comments, they looked at each other in disbelief, then thanked her and returned the compliment.  Kendra came back over to me, took my hand and told me that they seemed very nice.  As we walked down the sidewalk, I teared up...wondering if I will ever be able to see people as Jesus sees them, and as his little follower saw them.  Just one more time in these women's lives that a man could have been gracious to them, but wasn't, because that man saw them as worth less than the value God placed on them.

A few times a week, I visit a nearby bookstore (known for holding booksignings) to read, write, and listen to traffic.  One morning I noticed a long line for several blocks, and in this line were waiting people who appeared to be either homeless or disheveled from being up all night. They had been waiting overnight for a special gift to be given to the first 100 people in line.  Yes, Donald Trump was kicking off his new book's sales by giving $100 to the first 100 people in line for the booksigning. 

While I'd be the last to say that Donald's worldview matches the worldview of Jesus, I did wonder if sometimes we get in line to get from Jesus the spiritual equivalent of an instant hundred bucks, without aspiring to learn how He brought smiles to others' faces.  Meaningful existence doesn't happen just when we receive from Christ, but when we learn to give like Him (Jesus that is, not Donald).

Ever wonder why Jesus didn't get noticed for the first 30 years of his life?  Beyond a few infant episodes and one teenage highlight, he apparently did little to get attention during the first 90% of his life.  If he is the best example of a life lived for the good of others, then I wonder if we're better off to take a less-Messianic posture in the way we live our lives in our community.  Intertwining our lives with those of our community, being human alongside of others, 'dwelling among' not just 'dwelling near' others...these seem to be consistent with God's approach to changing us.

In a place like New York, you often don't have a choice but to have your life interwined with someone else's.  I don't like ginger yet every Saturday afternoon I have to smell it because my neighbor loves it.  I don't prefer to have my personal space pierced unless I know your name, but the morning subway eliminates everyone's personal space.  Yesterday I stepped onto a crowded elevator and noticing how close we were to each other, I said, "Since we're this close, you might as well know my name. Hi I'm Jeff."  The uncomfortable tension of being up against people who didn't know each other (and who smelled wierd) was broken up by one guy admitting reality. 

Perhaps our efforts would be more effective if we spent the first 90% of our energy finding ways to live for the good of our city without getting noticed, instead of putting others on notice that we have come to save the world.

You've heard the phrase "faster than a New York minute", which was understandably coined to reflect the frenetic pace of NY life.  I'm considering coining a new phrase..."more diverse than a New York block".  Cities offer instant movement from one ethnic flavor to another, from one socio-economic arena to another, and one worldview to another.  A few weeks ago, I was walking with a realtor and all of sudden he stopped and said to me, "Do you feel that?  The city just changed within a few blocks!"  And strangely enough, I could feel that.  Likely, missional people have to pick a "city within a city" and find ways to live for it's good.  There is no approach proven to work "across the blocks", except for one person at a time fleshing out what it means for them to Christ-follow in their "con"-"text" (literally "surrounding story").  What page are you on?

The move date is set for August 3 and I can't wait. Roosevelt Island (between Manhattan and Queens) in the middle of the East River, will serve as home base for our family.  We've laughed about adjusting to a 2 bedroom apartment, but look forward to finally being where God is calling us. We have felt welcomed by our new friends in the city, and are grateful for a growing number of partners (prayer and financial) who have become part of NewYorkIsCalling.

Six months ago, a NYC resident approached me and with tears in her eyes challenged me to think differently about NYC..."When 9/11 happened, the church of America did a fine job of sending us bottled water, which while a meaningful gesture, wasn't what we needed.  We needed Christ's love seen in churches, ...so help us have churches."  I was challenged to act.  And we hope to do our part in helping our favorite city have what it needs.