While the great drift of people to the inner cities catches our attention, we may not have noticed the migration of saints to the suburbs.
In the July 1993 edition of The Treasury, Kevin White reflected on the rise of the world’s megacities in light of a striking headline from Time magazine: “Urban centres are rife with problems—and filled with promise.”
At the time, projections suggested that by the year 2000, more than half of the world’s population would live in cities. White noted how millions were being drawn by the “strange magnetism of urban life,” making the urban world an undeniable reality.
For many Christians in the 1990s, however, the first half of the Time statement—“rife with problems”—summed up their perception of the city. Cities were seen as places of evil, confusion, and corruption, leading many believers to seek refuge in the suburbs. White observed that this “migration of saints” left behind a void of Christian presence and witness in the very places where human creativity, culture, and ambition converged.
Yet, he also pointed out that cities are not just problem zones—they are places of promise. White reminded readers that Paul himself, “a citizen of no ordinary city” (Acts 21:39), intentionally chose to preach in major urban centres such as Thessalonica. He drew from voices like Ray Bakke, who warned that the fastest-growing cities of the world were often in regions where the church was weakest. For White, this was both a sobering reality and a call to action.
Looking to Scripture, White traced God’s enduring concern for the city—from Cain’s building of Enoch (Gen. 4:17) to the vision of the heavenly city “whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10). He recalled how God would have spared Sodom for ten righteous people, how He sent Jonah to Nineveh, and how He called His exiled people to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city” (Jer. 29:7). For White, the biblical witness was clear: God does not abandon the city; He loves it.
The Call Then—and Now
More than thirty years on, White’s reflections still resonate. The United Nations now estimates that over 57% of the global population lives in cities, and this trend continues to rise. The challenges of poverty, overcrowding, environmental strain, and social fragmentation have only deepened. But so too has the potential for gospel witness.
In our own time, the temptation to retreat remains strong—whether to suburbs, digital enclaves, or insulated communities. Yet White’s reminder echoes: cities are not only centres of problems, but of promise. They are strategic hubs where the church is called to bear witness, serve the vulnerable, and embody the kingdom of God.
The vision of the Bible is not escape from the city, but renewal within it—culminating in the New Jerusalem. As Hebrews reminds us, “here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come” (Heb. 13:14). Until then, God’s people are called to seek the peace and prosperity of the places where He has set us—even, and especially, in the city.
A Prayer for the Cities of the world
We lift our cities before You—the crowded streets, the struggling families, the creative minds, and the broken hearts. Where there is darkness, bring Your light. Where there is despair, bring hope. Where there is injustice, bring Your justice. Give us courage not to withdraw, but to step in with compassion, wisdom, and grace. May our lives point to the city that is to come, where You will dwell with Your people forever. Amen.
Our Call to Action
Let us not shrink back from the places God loves. Pray regularly for your city. Look for ways to serve your community. And consider how you, your family, or your church can be present where the gospel is needed most.
For the city is not only a place of problems—it is also a place of promise.