I have a dream where I see all the neighborhoods across my city of Los Angeles coming together to connect first within themselves and then with each other. I have a dream that people would get to know their neighbor across the street and help them with their needs. From there, they would get to know their neighbor across the tracks. I have a dream that people would take the risks necessary to cross cultural and economic lines in an effort to understand “the other.” That we would put ourselves in the other person’s shoe instead of saying, “I would never be in that position.” That communities of Jesus-followers would flower in every neighborhood, multiplying like dandelions. That the Holy Spirit would be at work in the very air.
What would it look like if that happened? We’d see the sharing of resources across neighborhood lines and across color lines. Churches and ministries would let one another—and the community—use their buildings. We’d see more partnerships to address problems. We’d see believers and unbelievers working side-by-side. We’d see a greater understanding for communities with problems that are different than our own. We’d feel a sense of ownership over “our” children rather than judgment or pity for “their” children. We’d start to recognize that we’re actually on the same side.
From Los Angeles, this reality could spread to other cities, then to other countries. Imagine what that might look like. Imagine the power of a gospel message that crosses these kinds of lines. Starting with something small, we would eventually see widespread societal transformation. It always has to start somewhere. Why not here? Why not with us in our neighborhood?