Put On For Our City

After what has been a rough campaign, the elections in town have come and gone with some familiar faces maintaining their positions and possibly the introduction of new leaders to continue the progress begun by previous administrations. One thing I have noticed in living here for nearly a decade is the lack of color on the billboards – and despite the growing diversity since the turn of the millennium, some prominent voices seem overly committed to a homogeneous community that never actually existed. One can look at the negative headlines our mayor has made not only locally but also nationally over the course of two terms to fully understand the sentiments. With this kind of track record from City Hall, attracting black-owned business in addition to families (such as my own) seeking a safe place to raise children and a quality education may end up looking elsewhere.

How do I sell living in Bryant to my friends and coworkers with the undercurrent of bigotry? We put on for our city, too.

One local takeaway from #ElectionDay is that Bryant will have a new mayor - and hopefully less divisive. Congrats to Mayor-Elect Allen Scott! I will #expectmore in the next four years.

— A. Cedric Armstrong (@cedteaches) November 7, 2018

 The Jews of Jesus’s earthly days also had a blind spot in their vision for the future. Since they were Abraham’s children via multiple generations, they were only concerned about the future of their own people. Arkansans, does this sound familiar when we caterwaul about being a fifth- or seventh-generation (or however far back your insular background allows) Arkansan proudly? They couldn’t understand Jesus’s concern for the Samaritans, Roman soldiers, or anyone else who didn’t share their family roots, way of temple worship or rabbis. Likewise, we sometimes fail to recognize the life experiences of those we differ from and dismiss them as insignificant, or worse, agitators bent on making my existence and consequential privilege uncomfortable.

 God has a way of forcing us to acknowledge that we are more alike than we realize.

 He also chose a desert nomad named Abram to bring blessings to all the people in the world (Genesis 12:1-3). Jesus knows every single one of us and loves us equally – even those we haven’t been introduced to at the current moment. Together, we live by the grace and mercy of One who can help us see one another, our cities, and ultimately His Kingdom.