"So where was the church?"...thoughts from a conversation

Since Stephanie and I moved to our new home in a new community we have been asked many questions. Some of these questions have been: "How is the new home?", "How is the community?", "Have you met your neighbors", "Do you feel safe?"...etc.
This weekend while answering one of these questions I was then asked about the history of the community. This was because the current state of our community seemed so different than the community that we were currently in. It is so close in proximity, yet seems worlds apart. For my friend there was a huge disconnect because she has no relationships in the inner city. I am not saying this is wrong, this has just been her reality and the reality of many others that I talk to.

 I shared some of Ivanhoe's story: A community that once was thriving but has since suffered the loss of half its residents due to homes being demolished for a highway, the rise of drugs and crime, the closings of schools, redlining, poverty, etc. After sharing a brief history my friend asked a great question "So, where was the church?" She was right, where was the church? How could we allow our communities to get to this point? Good question, right?

To answer my friends questions I had two thoughts. First, as hard as it may seem for us looking back, the church was present. In inner city communities the African American church never left. It has been a force for good and a voice calling for justice for the poor and oppressed. It was a refuge and safe place during difficult times. My second thought was, sadly, many churches outside of these communities were either silent while all this was going on or ignorant of them because these issues didn't touch their communities. It's like the saying "Out of sight, out of mind.". 

My take away from my short conversation is that I can be guilty of looking back and asking the same question: "Where was the church?". Casting judgment on my brothers and sisters who were silent or who carried on in ignorance and ignored those who are close to God's heart. But the question that is harder to ask is "Where is the church today on issues of justice?" This is harder. It's easier to look back in judgment than it is to be concerned about the things that God cares about today. Things like poverty, sex trafficking, homelessness, fatherlessness, racism, discrimination, etc. I know these issues have always been and will be with us as long as there is sin in the world, but an overflow of the Spirit of God working in us should result in us engaging society and confronting the injustices around us.

I want to be clear, there are churches and organizations doing great work in this area. But we have to continue to ask God to help us love the way he would love those in our cities if he walked these streets. How would Jesus love my neighborhood if he were here? How would he love our city? How would he love our neighbors? How would he love you?...

My prayer is that we will be a generation that will not sit back, but will embrace our call to stand with the poor and distressed. Emptying ourselves, so that our God and King will be seen clearer. My fear for the church is that we are too easily distracted and can be influenced by the current consumer culture. This results in us keeping our physical distance from the poor and marginalized because they don't offer the things we think valuable. This is a lie. Again, not speaking about all churches, but the pursuit of power and recognition has distracted many from their true call.

So, where is the church?

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, 
with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, 
then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." 

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land 
and will strengthen your frame. 
You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." (Isaiah 58: 9-12)