FULFILLING OUR PROPHETIC DESTINY

This is meant to be an interactive collaboration as we collectively try to get our spirits around some of the teachings of Tsuchina on Tuesday night. My way of dealing with things is to write and see how it looks to me. For those of you who weren't there, that's okay; let's wrestle with this.

First, what is Cincinnati's prophetic heritage and destiny?

Losantiville stands at the intersection of two rivers. On the north side of the Ohio River was Shawnee and Miami tribe land. On the south side was Kentucky, a sacred hunting ground where no natives lived, but they crossed over to hunt. When European settlers came, it was with broken promises, biological and tactical warfare, and using wealth as leverage. Europeans won, but through sinful wrongdoing.

Into this dangerous area the white settlers founded a town, which grew quickly and became the largest and most influential city west of the Alleghenies for most of the 19th century. Settled by German immigrants, the city was sometimes called Porkopolis for its meat packing plants, brewed a lot of beer, was a center for publishing and of culture (such as symphony), a center of the Christian Stone-Campbell Movement, and the Queen City of the West. And don't forget the Reds!

In my mind, the most significant thing about the region in that century was Cincinnati's role in the Underground Railroad. This was the stop of freedom. Kentucky was "neutral," meaning that the Chistians of northern Kentucky stood by while runaway slaves were captured and brought back to their "owners" in the south, without taking a moral stand. But a few bold-faced believers were among the final conductors of the railroad to freedom.

What is our prophetic destiny, knowing all this? Freedom for runaway slaves? Racial reconciliation? Spiritual/musical center?

Second, what is Price Hill's prophetic heritage and destiny?

The hill was first called Boldface Hill (there is still Boldface Park at the bottom of the hill by River Road), named after a European hunter who killed chief Boldface here. Then it was named after Edgar Price, the man who owned a mansion on the edge of the hill and helped to develop the area. In the late 19th century, it was the wealthy suburb of the growing city, a place of mansions and vineyards, out of the path of the air pollution of the city below, somewhat cut off from the city by Mill Creek and the steep hill, made more accessible by bridges and an incline. Our eco-district is called Seminary Square, after Mt. St. Mary Seminary and Cincinnati Bible Seminary, both located in its borders.

The hill was especially inhabited by southern German immigrants, who settled mostly on the west side of the city. I heard that the west side of Cincinnati had more Germans per capita than anywhere in the world outside of Germany. I also heard that it was the second highest percentage of Roman Catholics outside of the Vatican. So, what is the prophetic heritage and destiny of people of Germany? Our speaker tonight suggested "order" and "precision." I would like to suggest that their calling is to bless the world through their "nation" (in German, Reich). There have been three regimes in the last few centuries, and many theologians, scholars, philosophers, and musicians have blessed the world through their excellent craftsmanship. But the German calling was abused by mistaking excellence for superiority, and Germany has sought to master the world rather than serve it in Jesus' name, all in pursuit of a strong nation, culminating in genecide against Jews and blacks and other non-Arian peoples.

Since those days, Price Hill has seen an ethnic change, with a large influx of Appalachians, and then more recently of African-Americans, and most recently of Guatemalan immigrants. The community has moved from suburban wealthy to populous lower middle class to eventually becoming one of the largest communities of lower class subsidized housing in the city. Children outnumber adults in our neighborhood. The crime rate and gang activity are noticeably high.

What is Price Hill's prophetic destiny, given that heritage? To be a light on the hill? To bring healing to the nations? Racial reconciliation? To be bold-faced?

Third, what is Christ Community's prophetic heritage and destiny?

CCiPH was begun from a church in northern Kentucky. We were a REACH group that became a house church that became a network of house churches. There was a desire to reach the people of Price Hill with the gospel, and to bring about reconciliation of ethnic groups and socioeconomic levels in Christ Jesus. "For the healing of the nations" was an early watchword. We were born in freedom and emphasized grace, bathed in prayer and intercessory worship.

What is our destiny? Catholic reconciliation? Freedom for ex-Catholics? Freedom for runaway slaves (from institutionalized religion?)? Worship and intercession? To be a pocket of beauty in the city?

Fourth, what is my family's prophetic heritage and destiny?

Ellen and I both grew up in white, upper-middle class suburban homes. We have four birth children and a Germanic (and other) background; my middle name is Eugene (if you know about the eugenics movement of the early 20th century in Germany, you know that's a significant name). We added Jenny, who grew up in Price Hill in one of those broken homes. Now we have added three African-Americans boys with special needs, and we are called to live in this city, in this neighborhood, and to belong to this church.

Ellen and I are both musical, as are our birth children. She loves languages and diversity and welcoming people from other countries; I have loved ethnic music for some years now, and plan to start a World Music Worship Ensemble this spring. Why do I feel such a tug toward embracing ethnicity and welcoming all nations to worship? All three of our girls have had at least moderate, if not passionate, pulls toward cross-cultural missions work. After tonight, I'm starting to see why God has called Ellen and I so strongly to reverse Babel in this neighborhood.

With our adoptive boys, we are immersed in racial reconciliation and have a personal stake in it. Anthony He was prophesied to become a gentle giant, and I have felt that his destiny is reconciliation, even before he was the catalyst of a landmark lawsuit to help bring about less of a barrier between white and black families in the county and across the country. I have had the impression that AJ has been given a pastor's heart. And we named our last son Isaac Kenneth, partly because I have a precious promise from God that he is to be a source of joy to me as I learn to serve him.

What is my family's calling? Racial reconciliation? (Maybe you see my leanings here) Worship and intercession? To be a quiet witness? Something else?

LORD, teach us to know our heritage that we might understand our destiny. In Jesus' name. Amen.