Susan LaffertyThe urban forum. A gathering of the nations. We explore cities together. Examining them from various angles and worldviews.
One particular presentation leads us to unmapped neighborhoods. Unnamed places. In the depths of an urban slum.
Pushing out from the edge of a global city.
Streets and paths. Crossroads. Unmarked. Yet densely populated. With living, breathing communities.
Abiding in Christ. It seems like a given. The common, daily practice of a follower of Jesus.
But in the midst of vision casting and formulating strategies for work and life, abiding in Christ too easily moves to the periphery.
We may take it for granted. Give it only lip service.
The art was hidden by the crowds that walked through Mangal Bazaar that day in Islamabad, June 1997. Then I saw it. One particular painting drew me in. Maybe it was the camels. Or the street scene reminiscent of Karachi. In the mix of muted and bright, the blue dome of the mosque caught my eye.