It’s time to go back into the city

On the morning of 7th October, with the day stretching before me, I came before God. I first acknowledged the list of things on my mind, the various possibilities regarding how to use the day, and then tried to quieten my heart. I remembered the words of Psalm 46 “Cease striving and know that I am God.”

I heard the words:

 “It’s time to go back into the city”

 I knew then that I should walk into the city that morning. I knew where the walk was to start, quite near my home, and where in the city centre it was to end, the location of the Peregrine Falcons’ roost. I knew that it should take part of the route some friends and I undertook last year, when we walked and prayed from the site of the Roman fort in the city centre, out to the site of the Roman fort which would have been the Eastern Gateway (a distance of approximately 14 miles). Having had the direction from God last year to walk out of the city, it was now time to go back in.

As I walked, I realised my prayers were taking the from of singing. There were no words, just “oh” repeated. Identifying the “ohs” as U2 doesn’t narrow it down much as it’s Bono’s most used line, but I soon identified the song and found the words the Spirit wanted to show me.

“Where the streets have no name,

Where the streets have no name.

We’re still building and burning down Love,

Burning down Love…” 

These words directed me to the many, many Christians who have over the last decade, moved into the poorest, most desolate areas of the city to live there, build community and see what God was up to. After many struggles, lessons, blessings and signs of life, there are quite a number of them that have grown tired, not seen the promised regeneration, moved away, or taken refuge in the large city centre churches for a rest. We are still building and burning down love, and many streets remain forgotten and nameless.

“And when I go there, I go there with You;

It’s all I can do.”

Going there can be gruelling, challenging, confusing, sometimes hopeful, sometimes hopeless. All my brothers and sisters can do is respond to God, and go there with Him. My part, for this day, was to clear away doubt and confusion and to simply walk with God into the city. It’s all I can do.

I saw a Chinese Take-Away which I’d passed many, many times before. This time either it had a new name, or I noticed the name for the first time… “New Thriving”.

As I passed the many sites of renovation in the east of the city I felt that the projects that had been stalled could soon start again. Could the ‘credit crunch’ sabbath be over for God’s regeneration?

One of the regeneration projects is called “The Way”. It was a significant staging post on last year’s walk out of the city. I had already begun declaring Isaiah 40 “prepare the Way of the Lord” when I passed it last year. This year it seemed significant again.

I knew where my walk was to finish, but my route across city centre was unplanned. I tried to be Spirit led and found myself at the junction of Fountain Street and Spring Gardens. I hadn’t noticed either street name before and sensed something significant, so I simply prayed for God to release his Living Water in the city.

I came to the location where I was to end my walk, and from a T.V. heard David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party and possible next Prime Minister announce:

“Britain is Broken”

My response was “Hallelujah”. Obviously I was rejoicing at a declaration of brokenness, not at a political slogan to discredit the current government. What a statement.

I saw a van drive past emblazoned with “Grace Construction Products.”

I heard that Honda production was back on in Swindon, after a long lay off… I take this not as a sign that the global recession is over, but as a sign to me on this particular walk on this particular day that some production and construction is to begin again. Maybe the God’s own sabbath ’caused’ by the credit crunch is over and God’s regeneration can continue.

At the end of my walk I sat and tried to listen to the Spirit. This is what I heard:

“Thank you for coming into the city. I am promising wellsprings of living water, streams in the urban wasteland. Peregrines are a sign of life, of nature returning to the city and thriving.”

At this point I ‘saw’ a large municipal building, the kind which can look beautiful in the sunshine and full of life when surrounded by people, but which can also look dark and forbidding when empty.

“The proud shall be made low. The low shall be raised up. Beauty will only be beauty as it reflects my life.. like sun shining on a building and people happily milling around it (as opposed to emptiness, enclosure, darkness and desolation). It is not buildings that are soulless or soulful. I give life. Many buildings across this city will be given my life – they will host community, life, creativity and expression. Life, love, and Kingdom, will return to my city. 

There may be surprises as to which buildings become full of my life.”

Those of you who have ears, let them hear: “It’s time to go back into the city”

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