"Common grace has made it possible for us to participate in the public realm in multiple ways that contribute to the flourishing of the created order." ~ Vincent Bacote

 The World - The City: To be in and not of...we must actually be engaged, connect, relate, discuss, share, influence and even be influenced by the city - the world. Cities are places of influence. Things created in the city make their way out into the rest of the world over time. Whether it be trends, fashion, businesses, thoughts, books, politics, art, religion. education or technologies. In order to influence the future, we must engage the future in the cities. This will cause us to be in that beautiful and vulnerable place of having influence and open to being influenced.

 Considering what it means to be "in" and not of, more specifically the first part of that statement - "being in". How are we in?

 A few thoughts on the ways to "be in":
 * To "be in" we must be physically present (as opposed to living and creating our own bubble) - living, visiting, eating with, enjoying the beauty and creativity of the city. The shift in the last 10 to 15 years of more churches in our cities is a wonderful example of this.
 * Delivering mission in the city is a tremendous way to be engaged. Creating or delivering hope to the disadvantaged and hurting of the city - the world. Helping to make lives better as we consider the greater good. Serve, find out problems and help fix them and become part of the solution. Jeff Shinabarger says (and does) with Suffered Enough, "We will be known by the problems we solve".
 * Engage in Enterprise - Business and work is another sustainable way that we come into contact with the world and show how to be honorable in how we treat others. The entrepreneur is the artist, creating that which others will value & enjoy. Do this with integrity and humility, but also with excellence and focus. Many examples are emerging for Impact Capitalism.

 Do not withdraw, but lean against the wind and go into the cities, into the world to influence and to be influenced by.

"Into the hands of every individual is given a marvelous power for good or evil--the silent, unconscious, unseen influence of his life. This is simply the constant radiation of what man really is, not what he pretends to be." - William Jordan