I've been thinking about the challenges and opportunities facing our neighborhoods. We need to think honestly about the present state of our neighborhoods and our efforts within them if they are to become Christ-centered. After all, that’s the goal.
At the risk of being reductionistic, I would say there are two main problems hindering our neighborhoods: the design of our cities and the design of our homes. Thankfully, we can employ intentional solutions to counter these challenges and create opportunities for the Gospel.
At the risk of being reductionistic, I would say there are two main problems hindering our neighborhoods: the design of our cities and the design of our homes. Thankfully, we can employ intentional solutions to counter these challenges and create opportunities for the Gospel.
City Design
If you’ve ever compared a European city to an American city, you will see at least one major design difference. The American city, especially as you go west, was designed with personal vehicles in mind. The European city was not. That was a luxury old European cities did not have, though they’ve been retrofitted for vehicles since.
We may not think it, but vehicles are a problem for neighborhoods. Personal vehicles made it possible to design new neighborhoods for distance. The roles which had traditionally been fulfilled in the household were already being exported out of it due to the industrial revolution (See Nancy Pearcey's foreword in C. R. Wiley's The Household and the War for the Cosmos). The introduction of vehicles entrenched that even further. Now work, education, food, church, recreation, and more don’t need to be that close.
Vehicles provide families with wider radiuses to roam. While this is extremely helpful in providing access to more resources and communities, it also means less time spent in the neighborhood with neighbors. Vehicles teleport us about. They insulate us from interaction as glass and metal manifestations of our personal bubbles. (The ownership we feel for that space is one reason why there’s such a thing as road rage but not sidewalk rage. I digress.)
Our isolation is compounded when the time saved for us by vehicles is reinvested in doing more and being busier. (I remember hearing that a similar phenomenon happened when household appliances were introduced to the home. Housewives suddenly found more time on their hands, and many filled that time with more chores.) Many families in our society function this way, and I believe it is more problematic than we realize, but that’s another topic.
Like it or not, while we’ve been driving our vehicles, they’ve been steering us.
We may not think it, but vehicles are a problem for neighborhoods. Personal vehicles made it possible to design new neighborhoods for distance. The roles which had traditionally been fulfilled in the household were already being exported out of it due to the industrial revolution (See Nancy Pearcey's foreword in C. R. Wiley's The Household and the War for the Cosmos). The introduction of vehicles entrenched that even further. Now work, education, food, church, recreation, and more don’t need to be that close.
Vehicles provide families with wider radiuses to roam. While this is extremely helpful in providing access to more resources and communities, it also means less time spent in the neighborhood with neighbors. Vehicles teleport us about. They insulate us from interaction as glass and metal manifestations of our personal bubbles. (The ownership we feel for that space is one reason why there’s such a thing as road rage but not sidewalk rage. I digress.)
Our isolation is compounded when the time saved for us by vehicles is reinvested in doing more and being busier. (I remember hearing that a similar phenomenon happened when household appliances were introduced to the home. Housewives suddenly found more time on their hands, and many filled that time with more chores.) Many families in our society function this way, and I believe it is more problematic than we realize, but that’s another topic.
Like it or not, while we’ve been driving our vehicles, they’ve been steering us.
Home Design
The saying goes that a man’s home is his castle. In recent years, this has become an uncomfortable reality thanks to the advances of the digital revolution.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a peacetime mindset for our castles, but wartime one. The drawbridges are up, the lawns are empty, supplies are delivered, entertainment is streamed, and no one is in sight. These modern castles are designed for siege in an anxious age. The irony is that we know more peace and prosperity than true castles ever did.
I remember thinking about this when I used to walk through a country club neighborhood. Here were the most beautiful homes with the most expansive yards, but they nearly always appeared vacant. An occasional vehicle would roll in or out of a garage, but that was all.
Now, homes are designed with an inward focus rather than an outward one. The main focus of the home is no longer the front door but the garage door. Rarely do our homes have sitting rooms, and if they do, they sit empty. Not only is it possible to isolate, it’s acceptable. No longer do we gather on the porch or in the town square.
Winston Churchill once said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” Whether vehicles or homes, it takes much wisdom and intentionality for us to remain the shapers and not the shaped.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a peacetime mindset for our castles, but wartime one. The drawbridges are up, the lawns are empty, supplies are delivered, entertainment is streamed, and no one is in sight. These modern castles are designed for siege in an anxious age. The irony is that we know more peace and prosperity than true castles ever did.
I remember thinking about this when I used to walk through a country club neighborhood. Here were the most beautiful homes with the most expansive yards, but they nearly always appeared vacant. An occasional vehicle would roll in or out of a garage, but that was all.
Now, homes are designed with an inward focus rather than an outward one. The main focus of the home is no longer the front door but the garage door. Rarely do our homes have sitting rooms, and if they do, they sit empty. Not only is it possible to isolate, it’s acceptable. No longer do we gather on the porch or in the town square.
Winston Churchill once said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” Whether vehicles or homes, it takes much wisdom and intentionality for us to remain the shapers and not the shaped.
Progress is Good
Progress often means loss, and it’s tempting to mourn that loss. But it’s one thing to remember with affection the good ol’ days, it’s another to live with one foot in them. Recognizing a golden age is different than pining after it.
When it comes to technological progress, the Lord would not have us meet it with disgruntlement, cynicism, or even hopelessness. Any and all progress we make is ordained and given by God. It is a gift. We are to be good stewards of these talents. We should seek to multiply them, and we should thank God for them. (Ploductivity by Douglas Wilson makes this point well.)
The solution for our neighborhoods is not to reverse the technological progress that’s been made. That would be an unwise and impossible task. For all the issues of modern city and home designs, there are just as many blessings. Even more!
(One example worth mentioning here are the potential blessings rural communities can experience from this progress. While the industrial revolution emaciated rural communities, the digital revolution has the potential to revitalize them. For example, remote work gives families the flexibility to relocate in order to gain the benefits of rural living. To some extent, vehicles have already made this possible with commutes to jobs beyond their immediate area, but now the commute can be just across the home. For better or for worse [C. S. Lewis thought worse], vehicles and the internet have removed distance as a barrier.)
Ultimately, the solution isn’t to regress. But our solutions need not be that novel either. We just need to be intentional. I'll begin to close this blog post with a few ideas that we can begin implementing.
When it comes to technological progress, the Lord would not have us meet it with disgruntlement, cynicism, or even hopelessness. Any and all progress we make is ordained and given by God. It is a gift. We are to be good stewards of these talents. We should seek to multiply them, and we should thank God for them. (Ploductivity by Douglas Wilson makes this point well.)
The solution for our neighborhoods is not to reverse the technological progress that’s been made. That would be an unwise and impossible task. For all the issues of modern city and home designs, there are just as many blessings. Even more!
(One example worth mentioning here are the potential blessings rural communities can experience from this progress. While the industrial revolution emaciated rural communities, the digital revolution has the potential to revitalize them. For example, remote work gives families the flexibility to relocate in order to gain the benefits of rural living. To some extent, vehicles have already made this possible with commutes to jobs beyond their immediate area, but now the commute can be just across the home. For better or for worse [C. S. Lewis thought worse], vehicles and the internet have removed distance as a barrier.)
Ultimately, the solution isn’t to regress. But our solutions need not be that novel either. We just need to be intentional. I'll begin to close this blog post with a few ideas that we can begin implementing.
Open Invitations and Warm Welcomes
For neighborhoods to thrive, neighbors need to interact and friendships need to form. This takes time, but in a busy culture, making that time is not easy or intuitive.
If we want to make progress in this, we need to go against the current. We need to be willing to let our hospitality be unhindered by our schedules. This could mean we schedule unscheduled time, or it could mean we throw out our schedules entirely (aside from bedtimes for the kids, but even that can be relaxed with discernment). We just need to give ourselves the margin to spend time with our neighbors, whether we're visiting them or they’re visiting us. No agenda. No rush.
Along with this, let’s cultivate a neighborhood culture of open invitations and warm welcomes. Let’s learn to delight in spontaneous visits! A home where an invitation is always open and the welcome is always warm is a lovely home to behold. It's a blessing to all who enter. It carries the aroma of Christ.
Instead of retreating inside our homes at the end of the day, what if we walked across the street, or the yard, to visit each other? What if we enjoyed time with our neighbors more than we enjoyed our streaming services? What if quality time with the people who lived on our street was one of our favorite forms of recreation?
This may seem simple, but shifting an entire framework is easier said than done. Especially when it's entrenched in our surrounding culture. Still, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try, especially when we realize that framework is less helpful than we think it is. Thankfully, unhurried hospitality is something we can practice.
If we want to make progress in this, we need to go against the current. We need to be willing to let our hospitality be unhindered by our schedules. This could mean we schedule unscheduled time, or it could mean we throw out our schedules entirely (aside from bedtimes for the kids, but even that can be relaxed with discernment). We just need to give ourselves the margin to spend time with our neighbors, whether we're visiting them or they’re visiting us. No agenda. No rush.
Along with this, let’s cultivate a neighborhood culture of open invitations and warm welcomes. Let’s learn to delight in spontaneous visits! A home where an invitation is always open and the welcome is always warm is a lovely home to behold. It's a blessing to all who enter. It carries the aroma of Christ.
Instead of retreating inside our homes at the end of the day, what if we walked across the street, or the yard, to visit each other? What if we enjoyed time with our neighbors more than we enjoyed our streaming services? What if quality time with the people who lived on our street was one of our favorite forms of recreation?
This may seem simple, but shifting an entire framework is easier said than done. Especially when it's entrenched in our surrounding culture. Still, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try, especially when we realize that framework is less helpful than we think it is. Thankfully, unhurried hospitality is something we can practice.
Front Yards Over Backyards
Imagine homes designed to prioritize neighborhood interactions. What would they look like? What would that do for building a community and a culture?
One place to start would be to reprioritize front yards and front porches. These are spaces that make us present and available to our neighbors. They're catalysts for conversations. These are spaces worth investing in.
I wrote the following in Front Yards > Backyards:
One place to start would be to reprioritize front yards and front porches. These are spaces that make us present and available to our neighbors. They're catalysts for conversations. These are spaces worth investing in.
I wrote the following in Front Yards > Backyards:
Instead of allowing them to become gimmicks, let's make them real and full. While we're at it, let's make them restful and fun—hammocks, wiffle ball, outdoor movie nights, and conversations around a fire. They should be spaces adults and children want to spend their time.
Imagine what investing time in these spaces and opening them to each other would do for a neighborhood. At the very least, friendships would be fostered. If trust followed, camaraderie would be found. God knows what else would come.
Let's not underestimate our front yards, our front porches, or even our front steps.
Live Locally
We need to retrain ourselves to live locally. This applies to the distance we travel from home to meet our various needs, how often we get out of our homes and around the block, and how often we’re inviting those around the block into our homes. By centering our activities in our neighborhoods, we're maximizing touch points with our neighbors. Touch points lead to interactions, which lead to conversations, which lead to relationships and evangelism. If we doubt the efficacy of this, we need only to look to the earthly ministry of our Savior. We can’t get much more local than Jesus.
Living locally also applies to being aware of the activities of our local government. We have a big government so we think about big government. I can say with some confidence that most of us know more about what’s going at a national level than we do at a local level. From news to laws, we should know just as much, if not more, about what's happening locally as we do about what's happening nationally.
For the good of our neighborhoods, we need to reprioritize and relearn how to live locally.
Living locally also applies to being aware of the activities of our local government. We have a big government so we think about big government. I can say with some confidence that most of us know more about what’s going at a national level than we do at a local level. From news to laws, we should know just as much, if not more, about what's happening locally as we do about what's happening nationally.
For the good of our neighborhoods, we need to reprioritize and relearn how to live locally.
Build Momentum With Families
If we want robust neighborhoods filled with relationships and redemption, we need to recognize that families are the building blocks of neighborhoods.
Ideally, multiple families in the same neighborhood would come together around a shared mission to reach their neighbors. Their vehicles would serve to transport yard waste or carpool to swimming lessons. Their homes would be more like feasting halls than castles. There would be much joy and camaraderie in all of this.
While the men are the engine for outreach, women are the heart of hospitality. Men should be looked to for their leadership and initiative in this, and women should be looked to for their ability to build relationships and culture. Both are needed for developing robust community.
On one block, a handful of families could make significant progress in transforming a neighborhood if dedicated to the task. But even an individual family can begin building momentum in the right direction.
I’ve not read it yet, but I’ve heard that The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield provides ideas and examples for a regular rhythm of neighborhood outreach and hospitality. She's serious about this.
Ideally, multiple families in the same neighborhood would come together around a shared mission to reach their neighbors. Their vehicles would serve to transport yard waste or carpool to swimming lessons. Their homes would be more like feasting halls than castles. There would be much joy and camaraderie in all of this.
While the men are the engine for outreach, women are the heart of hospitality. Men should be looked to for their leadership and initiative in this, and women should be looked to for their ability to build relationships and culture. Both are needed for developing robust community.
On one block, a handful of families could make significant progress in transforming a neighborhood if dedicated to the task. But even an individual family can begin building momentum in the right direction.
I’ve not read it yet, but I’ve heard that The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield provides ideas and examples for a regular rhythm of neighborhood outreach and hospitality. She's serious about this.
Conclusion
Our solutions need to be intentional. While this includes thinking creatively about our neighborhoods in light of technological progress, it also includes returning to the biblical foundations of faith, family, and fellowship our culture has so recently left but so quickly forgotten.
As Christians, we’re not invincible to that same forgetfulness. How many of us talk to our neighbors at least once a week? How many of us have neighbors over for dinner more than twice a year?
As Christians, we’re not invincible to that same forgetfulness. How many of us talk to our neighbors at least once a week? How many of us have neighbors over for dinner more than twice a year?
I hope these thoughts start conversations around how we can win our neighborhoods for Christ. With Christ at the center, families and neighborhoods become jubilant, vigorous, and resilient. There is strength in the bond of true worship. If we want to have church-focused neighborhoods, we need to have neighborhood-focused families.
I’m sure I’ve overlooked problems, solutions, and strategies, so I welcome any thoughts or ideas addressing what I've missed.
As my friend Mark Mulnix said, “[My town] is full of people I’ve never known but hope to share life with in the future.”
Gratitude
Thanks to my wife for having a heart for her neighbors for as long as I’ve known her. I’m blessed to join her in this. She’s beautiful.
Thanks to Forrest Dawkins for listening to me verbally process some of this. Thanks to Mark Mulnix for his enthusiasm to live it out.
Thanks to Mark & Deb Rhoades, Judy Benson, Craig & Sue Anderson, Gary & Julie Dlask, and Bryce & Hannah Steiert and little Marianna for neighboring us.
Thanks too to Jeremy & Susan Beebout, Ray & Nancy Hemmer, Dennis & Selena Hemmer, and all of our other neighbors from before.
Thanks to Forrest Dawkins for listening to me verbally process some of this. Thanks to Mark Mulnix for his enthusiasm to live it out.
Thanks to Mark & Deb Rhoades, Judy Benson, Craig & Sue Anderson, Gary & Julie Dlask, and Bryce & Hannah Steiert and little Marianna for neighboring us.
Thanks too to Jeremy & Susan Beebout, Ray & Nancy Hemmer, Dennis & Selena Hemmer, and all of our other neighbors from before.