A City to Live In — Readers’ Choice

Scripture Focus: Psalm 87
1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain. 
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion 
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. 
3 Glorious things are said of you, 
city of God: 
4 “I will record Rahab and Babylon 
among those who acknowledge me— 
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush— 
and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said, 
“This one and that one were born in her, 
and the Most High himself will establish her.” 
6 The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: 
“This one was born in Zion.” 
7 As they make music they will sing, 
“All my fountains are in you.”

Genesis 4.16-17
16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.

“I’ll find a city. Find myself a city to live in. Help me. Find a city. Find myself a city to live in.” — David Byrne, Talking Heads, “Cities”

Originally published on May 6, 2024, based on readings from Psalm 87 and Genesis 4.16-17.

Readers’ Choice is here: There’s still time to tell us about your favorite, most meaningful posts of the year. If you shared it with someone, or it helped you, let us know via email, direct message, or filling out the linked form.

Music Week: Many choices from readers were ones having to do with music. Some were inspired by a song or hymn, some simply included music as part of the reflection experience. This week, we pray the Holy Spirit’s tune echoes in your heart and that he guides you into Truth as you listen again to these earthly tunes.

Readers’ Choice posts are selected by our readers:
Brian, DC — Thanks for this reflection.

Barbara, TN — Thank you.

Reflection: A City to Live In — Readers’ Choice
By John Tillman

In the Talking Heads song “Cities,” David Byrne sings of searching for a place to live. He weighs good points and bad points and longs for “home cooking” and a place where the river doesn’t stink. He’s checking them out and trying to figure them out, but this elusive city cannot be found.

Cities have good points. Cities have bad points. Anyone considering a move knows it is difficult to “figure it out.” Anyone who has left a familiar city knows the isolation of feeling like a wanderer.

The condemned, restless wanderer Cain named the first city after his son, Enoch. (Genesis 4.11-17) Cain was cursed and prevented from cultivating the ground, but in Enoch City, other skills were cultivated. From this city came arts and technology. (Genesis 4.21-22)

Cast out of Eden’s garden, humans planted cities to protect and provide for themselves, but like other things humans planted, cities were subject to the curse. The cursed ground produced thorns and thistles, and soon, cities bore the fruits of violence, oppression, and evil rather than peace, advancement, or justice.

Most cities in the Bible are mentioned because of evil, not good. From the front pages to the last, the Bible uses the city of Babylon as a symbol of human wickedness. Other cities and empires such as Egypt, Tyre, the cities of the Philistines, and more represent rampant violence and evil.

These cities are covered in darkness. Their rivers stink of death. But there is another city for us.

Psalm 87 names Zion as a city God loves. Zion is another name for Jerusalem, but the city God loves goes beyond a physical location. This city is God’s city. It is founded on holiness rather than sinfulness. It hints at Heaven, described by biblical writers as a city of healing, peace, justice, and mercy, from which the river of life flows.

God loves cities. If they acknowledge God, even wicked cities are spiritually connected to Zion. God writes down Babylon, Rahab (here a nickname for Egypt), and Tyre as “born in Zion.” 

Cities have good points. Cities have bad points. But God loves cities and sends us to them. Small ones. Big ones. What are you doing to bring the freshness of the river of life and the aroma of the home-cooked banquet of the gospel to your city?

Video: “The City,” by The Bible Project

From John: The Divine Hours prayers will return in October. This month we will pray one scripture passage or verse each week.

Prayer:
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.
 — Psalm 95.1-3


​Today’s Readings
Jeremiah 36 (Listen 5:54)
1 Corinthians 12 (Listen 4:25)

Read more about Moving Into the City
May we make our light shine through good deeds, showing God’s mercy and his grace to us, and turning slums and suburbs into cities on a hill.

Readers’ Choice is here!
This month, we are thankful to share your favorite posts from the past year. There’s still time to tell us your faves via email, direct message, or the linked form, so we can repost them.

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A City to Live In

Scripture Focus: Psalm 87
1 He has founded his city on the holy mountain. 
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion 
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. 
3 Glorious things are said of you, 
city of God: 
4 “I will record Rahab and Babylon 
among those who acknowledge me— 
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush— 
and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ”
5 Indeed, of Zion it will be said, 
“This one and that one were born in her, 
and the Most High himself will establish her.” 
6 The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: 
“This one was born in Zion.” 
7 As they make music they will sing, 
“All my fountains are in you.”

Genesis 4.16-17
16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.

“I’ll find a city. Find myself a city to live in. Help me. Find a city. Find myself a city to live in.” — David Byrne, Talking Heads, “Cities

Reflection: A City to Live In
By John Tillman

In the Talking Heads song “Cities,” David Byrne sings of searching for a place to live. He weighs good points and bad points and longs for “home cooking” and a place where the river doesn’t stink. He’s checking them out and trying to figure them out, but this elusive city cannot be found.

Cities have good points. Cities have bad points. Anyone considering a move knows it is difficult to “figure it out.” Anyone who has left a familiar city knows the isolation of feeling like a wanderer.

The condemned, restless wanderer Cain named the first city after his son, Enoch. (Genesis 4.11-17) Cain was cursed and prevented from cultivating the ground, but in Enoch City, other skills were cultivated. From this city came arts and technology. (Genesis 4.21-22) Cast out of Eden’s garden, humans planted cities to protect and provide for themselves, but like other things humans planted, cities were subject to the curse. The cursed ground produced thorns and thistles, and soon, cities bore the fruits of violence, oppression, and evil rather than peace, advancement, or justice.

Most cities in the Bible are mentioned because of evil, not good. From the front pages to the last, the Bible uses the city of Babylon as a symbol of human wickedness. Other cities and empires such as Egypt, Tyre, the cities of the Philistines, and more represent rampant violence and evil.

These cities are covered in darkness. Their rivers stink of death. But there is another city for us.

Psalm 87 names Zion as a city God loves. Zion is another name for Jerusalem, but the city God loves goes beyond a physical location. This city is God’s city. It is founded on holiness rather than sinfulness. It hints at Heaven, described by biblical writers as a city of healing, peace, justice, and mercy, from which the river of life flows.

God loves cities. If they acknowledge God, even wicked cities are spiritually connected to Zion. God writes down Babylon, Rahab (here a nickname for Egypt), and Tyre as “born in Zion.” 

Cities have good points. Cities have bad points. But God loves cities and sends us to them. Small ones. Big ones. What are you doing to bring the freshness of the river of life and the aroma of the home-cooked banquet of the gospel to your city?

Video:The City,” by The Bible Project

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. — Psalm 118.23

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

​Today’s Readings
Micah 6 (Listen 2:28)
Psalm 86-87 (Listen 2:26)

Read more about The Urban Sprawl of the City of God
Jesus calls us to live within the borderless, wall-less, ever-sprawling city of New Jerusalem.

Read more about Supporting Our Work
May we make our light shine through good deeds, showing God’s mercy and his grace to us, and turning slums and suburbs into cities on a hill.

Life in the Blood

Scripture Focus: Leviticus 17.10-12
10 “ ‘I will set my face against any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them who eats blood, and I will cut them off from the people. 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.” 

Genesis 4.10-12
10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 

Genesis 9.4-5
4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

From John: We live in a world of casual, uncaring, bloodshed. Worse than that…we are often unmoved by that bloodshed. We are unmoved by children dying in shootings or children dying crossing the border or children dying in the womb. At least, not moved enough to change anything. As Russell Moore said in a recent Christianity Today article, “Americans—especially Christians—should ask just how much we have adjusted ourselves to this kind of horror. How numb to it all have we become?” 

We need to reinvigorate our hearts to care about the shedding of blood, our careless collaboration in it, and our callous response to seeing it. Because of this, we return to this rewritten devotional from 2021.

Reflection: Life in the Blood
By John Tillman

Biological facts often reveal spiritual truth. Our life really is in our blood. 

We often measure life based on brain activity. For example, the rapper, DMX, recently died after life support was removed following a coma/vegetative state. However, many of the brain’s commands are carried out by the hormones, proteins, and other chemical signals that travel through the blood.

Everything that makes us alive circulates in our blood. Life “moves” within us even when we are at rest. When blood stops moving, or is spilled out, life ends. 

The most important and revealing reason for the prohibitions regarding blood was spiritual not physical. Blood is life given for atonement. Since the blood of the first animal, killed by God in the garden to clothe Adam and Eve, animals have given their lives for human sin and creation has groaned for the blood spilled. (Genesis 3.21; Genesis 4.10-12; Romans 8.20-23)

All spilled blood, God says, is precious and holy, not only on its own but because it points to the blood of Jesus. Christ’s blood is the most precious blood in history, but every drop of blood shed draws precious meaning from his. 

Blood is still life and it should disturb us when blood is spilled. Blood is the life of our brothers and sisters of every race. Blood is the life of the unborn. Blood is the life of those dying of Covid. Blood is the life of both Christians and non-Christians murdered for their faith. Blood is the life of victims of every kind of violence whether in distant wars or neighborhood streets, whether in mass shootings or lone suicides.

So both the lives of a police officer lost stopping a mass shooting in Colorado and of a Black citizen, crushed by a police officer’s knee are united in that their lives point to and plea for Christ’s blood. One is lost in self-sacrifice and one cries out from the ground in a plea for justice.

May we revive a holy respect for blood, no matter where, how, or by whom it is shed. May we not carelessly “eat” blood by profiting from violence, supporting bloodshed, or indifferently shrugging off bloodshed that doesn’t affect us.

God will require an account. (Genesis 9.5; Isaiah 5.7) When he does, we must plead the blood of Jesus to cover all of our bloodshed. Only in his blood will we find true life. (John 6.53-57)

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Jesus taught us, saying: “He who comes from above is above all others; he who is of the earth is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven bears witness to things he has seen and heard…since he whom God has sent speaks God’s own words, for God gives him the Spirit without reserve.” — John 3.31

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Reading
Leviticus 17 (Listen 2:39) 
Acts 13 (Listen 7:36)

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Paul’s message is one of comfort but also a call to action; encouragement but also an energizing challenge.

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We are Socially Responsible

Scripture Focus: Genesis 4:9
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Reflection: We are Socially Responsible
By Erin Newton

As swiftly as sin breaks the peace between God and Adam, sin devours the hearts of his children. The story of Cain and Abel is an infamous tale of sibling rivalry, jealousy, and the first recorded murder in the Bible.

The quarrel between Cain and Abel is one-sided. Abel has done nothing wrong. He is a bystander in the story. He is, obviously, the victim.

When God looks favorably upon Abel’s sacrifice and not on Cain’s, anger brews in Cain’s heart. Why? Well, scholars are not entirely sure. It could be that he was prone to anger. It could be jealousy of his brother. It could be from a sense of entitlement and not being recognized for his efforts.

The text is not entirely clear about why God rejected the sacrifice either. All the characters seem to be aware of the religious protocol and Cain must have cut some corners.

Sin grows from anger in his heart to murder by his hands. Sin magnifies where self-control diminishes.

Cain kills his brother and, when confronted, he pulls an Adam-like response: deflecting blame. Cain deflects responsibility. Am I my brother’s keeper?

Cain knew Abel’s location. It was right where he left his body. Cain only cared about Cain.

Our world is built around individualism. Prosperity is only for those who help themselves. No hand-outs.

But what is our social responsibility to one another? Is it merely refraining from physical harm? Would Cain have been ok if he had just let Abel live?

God warned Cain that he needed to act rightly. Sin was prowling, looking for a victim, someone who could take the blame or become an outlet for hate.

The story of Cain is usually read as a warning about murder. The story is reduced to its most obvious features. Don’t murder. Sin is crouching. Cain bad. Abel good.

This simplistic idea misses the social impact of the text. Humanity has been created to be social. That social feature of our being is not for individual happiness or individual success. We are made to help one another, support one another, and truly be our “brother’s keeper.”

Not murdering one another is the lowest possible bar we could set for ourselves. As the Bible continues to unfold, we will see how God intended for us to care for each other in sickness and health, for better or worse, from womb to tomb.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
Jesus taught the people, saying: “I tell you most solemnly, everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now a slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the son sets you free, you will indeed be free. — John 8.34-36

Today’s Readings
Genesis 4 (Listen 3:54
John 4 (Listen 6:37)

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Who Needs Anger? — Readers’ Choice

Readers’ Choice Month:
In August, The Park Forum looks back on our readers’ selections of our most meaningful and helpful devotionals from the past 12 months. Thank you for your readership. This month is all about hearing from you. Submit a Readers’ Choice post today.

Today’s post was originally published, January 4, 2021, based on readings from Genesis 4 and Matthew 4.
It was selected by reader, Jennifer K. from Brooklyn, NY
“Why are you angry?” is a great question I need to remind myself of often, especially in this particular season where there is so much anger being spewed in the news and within my personal and professional life. The truth in “Jesus doesn’t need our anger. We need his peace” is powerful because we are powerless in anger. Wow, now I need to repeat that over and over in my daily meditations. This post struck a deep chord in my heart – my broken, sinful, hopeful, yearning for God’s love heart. My heart is only one in a world full of hearts crying out for peace yet are overwhelmed by anger, hurt and pain. Thank you, The Park Forum, for speaking truth to inspire us all to live life in love, peace and truth through our relationship with Jesus. 

Scripture Focus: Genesis 4.6-7

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Matthew 4.8-11

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. 

Reflection: Who Needs Anger? — Readers’ Choice

By John Tillman

Anger is just one of the devil’s tools that he uses as he “crouches at the door,” ready to master us as he did Cain, longing to sift us as he did Peter. (Luke 22.31-32) When Jesus condemned being angry at one’s brother as being comparable to murder, (Matthew 5.21-22) it is likely that he had Cain’s anger, and its result, in mind.

Anger is out of control in our society. Two of the main reasons why are that anger feels good and anger is profitable. 

Anger feels good? Yes. We get a rush of self-righteousness from anger. Anger gives us a false feeling of control. We feel as if by our anger we are doing something about a problem.

Anger is also profitable. How? Because it is a reliable trigger for manipulation. Satan knew this in the garden and used anger to manipulate Cain. Article writers know this. Politicians know this. Advertisers know this. Angry readers click and share without verifying facts. Angry voters vote rashly. Angry consumers are suggestible and susceptible. Angry citizens tolerate and ignore the abuses of leaders who stoke their anger.

The sin of anger hides in other things. Anger hides in misguided love. (Abusive husbands and parents “love” their wives and children. Abusive leaders “love” their country.) Anger hides in our desires for justice. Anger tempts us to seize control. Jesus was tempted to seize the kingdoms of the world in the wilderness. Peter attempted to seize control with a sword in the garden.

In an age of anger, God’s question to Cain is more relevant to us than ever. God asks, “Why are you angry?” 

Are you being manipulated by anger? What is motivating your anger? What is your anger prompting you to do? Will you do it? Who will profit when you do?

How we respond to anger will determine how easily we will be manipulated. The anger that so easily trips us up reveals our need for Jesus. Peter thought Jesus needed him in the garden. Many today think that Jesus needs the angry swings of our social media swords or other dangerous weapons. Jesus doesn’t need our anger. We need his peace. 

Satan may sift us like wheat, but after we have turned back, may we, like Peter, strengthen our brothers with love and not anger. May we lay down our angry swords and take up feeding his lambs and carrying our cross.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; let them be merry and joyful. — Psalm 68.3

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

Today’s Readings
Judges 19 (Listen – 4:52)
Acts 23 (Listen – 5:15)

Read More about Readers’ Choice 2021
It is time to hear from you about the posts from the past eleven months (September 2020 – July 2021) that have challenged, comforted, and helped you find new meaning in the scriptures.

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Read more about The Focus of Christ’s Anger
In our culture of outrage, we can’t get enough of anger.