”Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, be- cause if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Jeremiah 29:7
We experience that the Lord has placed His finger on the City and society when He wants to show us what lies on His heart regarding us as a Church.
There are many clear examples of this in the Bible. For example here in the book of Jeremiah when the prophet gives a message that goes exactly in line with what many saw as being righteous and pious.
The people of Judah in exile felt like strangers and guests exactly like the people of God had always done. In this case in Babel, a long way from Jerusalem. Many mes- sages that were delivered were all about isolating them- selves from their surroundings and developing hope
that they would maybe be able to one day return home again. Investing in surviving in Babel but not living in Babel. God had another plan. That God ́s people would be a blessing to Babel.
It ́s just the same for us. Our deepest identity is in God ́s kingdom, our homeland is heaven, our home town is the new Jerusalem. But just like it was for the people of Judah in Babel, the Lord says to us: Seek the best for the city and pray for it.
That means that the challenges of the city are ours. That the city is on our heart just as the city lies on the heart of God. That is why we work for God in our internatio- nal city. We love it and raise our voices to God that it ́s wounds will be healed. And we pray and work so that Jesus will be known, loved, followed and believed in Gothenburg.
/Urban Ringbäck
Prayer
– We pray that the gang conflicts will cease
– We pray for new initiatives that will break the segrega- tion in Gothenburg
