Service-Learning, Papers, and all sorts of "new things!"

Well, the past couple days I've been sitting in front of this computer, or my housemate's laptop, writing papers! I actually still have one left to type tonight... but am losing steam.

I've been pretty excited about the book of Isaiah lately, and wanted to share this reflection with you (whoever YOU happens to be!) that comes from my final paper for my Christ & the City class.

In the Old Testament Isaiah was a prophet in the city of Jerusalem during a time when his people were under constant threat from the Assyrian Empire. Isaiah never saw Jerusalem go into exile during his lifetime, but the northern kingdom, Israel, had been destroyed, and the southern kingdom, Judah, was taken over (except for Jerusalem). Throughout his ministry as a prophet, Isaiah condemns the sins of the nations, speaking out against idolatry and injustice. But in the last twenty six chapters of this book, he shifts and begins to speak words of comfort, proclaiming the coming of the Redeemer. In Chapter 43:19-21, Isaiah says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert, and streams in the wasteland… to give drink to my people, my chosen, and the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.” In the midst of injustice, under the threat of tyranny, God declares that He is doing a new thing, for his people. I believe that the words that Isaiah proclaimed to the people in Jerusalem ring true for our cities today. Through the power of the resurrection, Christ did a new thing and redeemed all of creation. In our cities today the Biblical story continues to unfold through redemptive acts—God is raising up new leaders, new ministries, and through them he is building his Kingdom. God himself says that he will “give drink to my people…the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.” (v.21). He created cities, they fell into sin, and now Christ is renewing these same cities each day. He’s renewing them through his body, the church. As leaders and members of Christ’s body, it’s important for us to understand that in order to bring about social change in urban environments we need to be able to read the text of the city and its culture, commit to servanthood, and rise to the challenges God has placed before us. Whether or not we “perceive it” God is at work, and it is affecting who we are and the work we are doing.

and... skipping to the conclusion (if you want the good stuff in the middle, you have to talk to me!)

In the Message version of the Bible, Isaiah 43:19 is translated as this, “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?” This translation really goes straight to the heart of the matter. If we want to bring about social change in our cities, we can’t keep looking at what’s been done—we have to be ready for what’s about to happen. We need to be tuned into our culture, our surroundings, and present with the people around us in order to know what God is doing. Our culture and society are always changing, we can’t “keep going over old history,” we have to be looking at the present day times. Revelation 21 describes the New Jerusalem, and in this passage the Lord declares, “I am making all things new!” Christ’s return will bring the complete redemption of all of creation. But in the meantime, we must continue to allow the power of the Holy Spirit to move within us right now as we work in our cities, in our paths that God has laid out in front of us. God calls faithful, passionate, and equipped people to fulfill his mission, and to be his agents of renewal here on earth.