Tonight, I decided to drive through the St. John's neighborhood here in Austin. Our church, The Austin Stone, has targeted this neighborhood and will build a permanent church home there in the coming years.
I've walked through St. John's during the day, but it's a whole different neighborhood at night. At nearly every house, people stood outside, leaning on their cars, smoking, talking, having birthday parties.
I turned my radio down and rolled down my windows, just listening. Here are my raw emotions: scared, intimidated, wrong cultures for me.
Just a bit earlier, I spent some time at the Domain walking through the outdoor mall; staring into windows that showcased David Yurman Jewelry, Louis Vuitton accessories, and Apple 3G I phones. I had just sipped an Iced Coffee from Seattle's Best.
I wanted, though, to travel to St. John's directly after my Domain experience to realize the dichotomy that exists between just 5 miles of earth.
I'm praying that God would expand my heart for the people of St. John's since our church will be there for a LONG time to come. I realized tonight...God has a LOT of work to do on my heart.
1 comment:
Man, you nailed it. I work downtown and drive down one of the scariest streets in the city everyday, and yet I've almost become immune to it because I see it every day. Apathy is an easier emotion than confusion and pain and worry and fear.
There's this song that perfectly captures what I feel nearly everyday driving through this area where I've seen drive-bys and drug deals, prostitutes and homeless children -- have you heard "Heart Still Beats" by Brave Saint Saturn? The song makes me cry whenever I hear it.
Full lyrics: http://www.mp3lyrics.org/b/brave-saint-saturn/heart/
Thanks for being so honest!
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