Many Christians have the idea that it is more godly to live in the country than in the city. They make arguments about clean air, home grown food, less noise, space to play and roam. Many wonder how someone would want to raise a family in the city. They cite crime, poverty, oppression, and the overwhelming amount of sin as reasons to stand clear from city life.Tim Keller has a quote that I think is quite extreme, but fun to quote nonetheless. Keller says: The country has more plants than people and the city has more people than plants. God loves people more than plants, therefore God loves the city more than the country! Funny? Well, an overstatement at the least. (Huge overstatement)
Roger Greenway argues that no matter what your view of the city is, if you are a Christian, you are bound for urban life. Revelation 21 is his text:
The world to come, Scripture teaches, will be an urban world. The redemption drama that began in a garden will end in a city, the new Jerusalem. Heaven's citizens will be urbanites. Drawn by bonds of grace from all races, nations, and language groups, new-city citizens will live together in perfect harmony as God's redeemed people, his new covenant community. This city to be will enjoy everything the cities that might have been [if it were not for sin] would have posessed, and one thing more: the citizens of the new city will not only be sinless, they will be sinners washed clean. Their is the story of redemption.
