GODISNOWHERE (now read it again)

Somehow God has managed to put thoughts by thoughts in my mind about Cincinnati, the inner-city, hopelessness, and everything else that follows.

As I walk on the street passing homeless people asking for help, as I sit on the bus watching everyday's life of baby-mama, as I sit in the meeting listening to faithful prayers of ordinary people who trust God completely even to lead the meeting, as I clean the litter on the sidewalk that was left by God knows who, as I listen to the shouts on the street at midnight that woke me up, as I hear the gun fire right across the street, I kept asking God of what he wants me to do.

I know there is only one answer to a revival. It has to start in each individual heart. It has to start with God knocking on the door and rescue them for the things that they might not even realized were ruining their life, taking away their joy, and robbing the precious time they received from God.

I know this thoughts probably is one of the common phenomenon of "twenty-something" person in my stage of life where I began to ask -what can I do to make a difference-, but I know more that this is part of my calling to glorify God through whatever talents that I have. A new friend I met earlier this week reminded me about what encouraged her to start a new ministry in downtown Cincinnati. She mentioned Matthew 25, the parable of the talent. I don't want to be the servant who burried the talent because he was afraid of using the talent. Fear is another type of prison. I am sure God can use my life now and today and where I am.

I was one of the examples of the hopelessness, too. I was hopeless that something can change. I was hopeless that every single little things that we do will not change the situation. I was hopeless that the authorities won't ever _EVER_ get it right. I was hopeless that some people still refused to talk to each other (like an adult). I was hopeless that the long-timers will still view new people as threats, gentrifiers, while the rest would not get along.

But it all started with God. And he is God. Nothing is impossible for him. Then I started to see the lights: everywhere around me is each person working for God. I can mention a few among many: the City Cure and their ministries who belief in relationships with each individuals, to touch them by heart and help each person to find God in their life; or the Vineyard who follows Mother Theresa who believes that "simple things done with great love can change the world", what a faith! Then I found the Sisters of Charity, who probably approach God in a different way but has done major impacts in real people in real life with real problems.

Individual artists working to open their own galleries, independent architects help locals to renovate their new condos or houses around, community organizations working to employs locals to rehab their houses, writers write, bakeries open, stores stay, university lend their helping hands to the people who otherwise don't have access to design assistance, local centers open their classes for free, libraries with their continued effort to educate, I can't mention everything.

I began to see that revival is not impossible at all.

But sometimes, churches lost their most important task to reach out. Once, a neighbor of mine told stories where they planted trees on a residential street where they lived, where a church "of open door" was also located. But the church's door was never open, they didn't even get involved in tree planting. Fifteen years later, the church was just a building, empty without people, and another neighbor turned it into condos.

It's not the greatest story on how church should become an engine of revival, where God should shine and reach out through their members. Not to be burdened by programs and programs, but to be burdened by a weight of gratitude, of the grace of God, that in rejoice, are reaching out to the community. How else would they know about God if not from people who knew God?