THE LIVING WORD
Reading Scripture from the Heart of the Church
God’s Program of
Urban Renewal
Dr. Mary Healy
T
hroughout Scripture, God shows a special care for
cities, those places of concentrated human inter-
action that in the ancient world were all-important
for protection, trade, and especially public worship.
Salvation history begins in a garden, but it ends in a
city, the new Jerusalem, God’s chosen dwelling place
on earth (Rv 21:2-3).
On the one hand, a city can be the of all the earth, Mount Zion . . . the city of
epitome of evil—human society orga- the great King” (Ps 48:1-2).
The prophets often decry the injustice
nized without any reference to God and
thus characterized by idolatry, immorality, that takes place in cities, especially to-
ward the poor and vulnerable. They warn
injustice, and violence. At the beginning
of the Bible, the very first city was built of the results of continuing in such wrong-
by Cain, the murderous son of Adam and doing: economic ruin, unrestrained vio-
Eve (Gn 4:17). A little later, Babel (precur- lence, depopulation, enemy occupation.
Yet no city, no matter how depraved, is
sor to Babylon) exemplified human ar-
rogance and worldly ambition (Gn 11). beyond the reach of God’s mercy. So God
calls his people to intercede for cities.
At the end of the Bible, Babylon (a code
“Pray for the peace of
name for Rome) is the
Jerusalem!” (Ps 122:6).
ultimate symbol of
Abraham prayed for
worldly wealth, plea-
“I have rebuilt
God to spare the wick-
sure, and power that
ed cities of Sodom
is ferociously hostile
the ruined places
and Gomorrah from
to God’s people but
and replanted
judgment (Gn 18). The
will be judged by God:
that which
prophet Jonah was
“They cried out as they
was desolate.”
sent to save Nineveh,
saw the smoke of her
the capital of the op-
burning . . . ‘Alas, alas,
pressive Assyrian em-
for the great city where
all who had ships at sea grew rich by her pire, from impending destruction by call-
ing it to repentance.
wealth! For in a single hour she has been
Even when the Jews were exiled in Bab-
laid waste’” (Rv 18:18-19).
On the other hand, a city could be the ylon, God commanded them to “seek the
epitome of human flourishing, a place of welfare of the city where I have sent you
peace, joy, and prosperity (Jer 33:10-11). into exile” (Jer 29:7).
What is God’s program for urban re-
The Psalms celebrate Jerusalem, the holy
city: “Great is the LORD and greatly to be newal? Although economic investment
praised in the city of our God! . . . the joy and good government are important, ur-
ban renewal is fundamentally the result of
the people of the city turning back to God
and doing what is right in his eyes: “Turn
to me and be saved” (Is 45:22), “Cease
to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice,
correct oppression; bring justice to the
fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (Is
1:16-17).
It is God himself who brings urban res-
toration in response to his people’s prayer
and repentance. May his wonderful prom-
ise be fulfilled for Detroit:
Thus says the Lord GOD: . . . The land
that was desolate shall be tilled, instead
of being the desolation that it was in the
sight of all who passed by. And they will
say, “This land that was desolate has be-
come like the garden of Eden, and the
waste and desolate and ruined cities
are now fortified and inhabited.” Then
the nations that are left all around you
shall know that I am the LORD; I have
rebuilt the ruined places and replanted
that which was desolate. . . . This also I
will let the house of Israel ask me to do
for them: to increase their people like a
flock. . . . Then they will know that I am
the LORD.’” (Ezek 36:33-38)
Dr. Mary Healy is professor of Sacred Scripture
at Sacred Heart.