The Gospel and the City in Genesis
The Gospel and the City in Genesis is part of a series of short articles written by my brother John on his blog, the gospel first. He has now reached chapter 21 in the series which you can find here. I think it is an outstanding series but do not claim to be objective. See for yourself. Here's a quote from the blog on Genesis 21.
"Believers who live in urban centers perhaps are more aware of an ‘Abraham-like’ longing for that eternal city, as they experience the antithesis to that eternal city. Often the retreat to the suburbs is motivated by the pursuit of the ‘good life,’ a taste of heaven on earth. This retreat is often an escape from sin and its consequences rather than a calling of God to be ministers of mercy in a world that needs Jesus. Many believers in the suburbs already possess the ‘city’ they’ve longed for and have settled down quite comfortably with only a faint longing or memory of the continuing city whose builder and maker is God."