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Location. Location. Location.

So I can’t sleep… which in itself is a little odd as I’m a great lover of sleep and I usually enter said state around 15-20 seconds after my head hits the pillow! Anyway, been thinking about a few things. One thing you often hear Christians ask is “God, what is your plan for my life?” And in my experience when we ask this type of question we’re expecting an answer in terms of what God would have us do, maybe a career or a choice of spouse. But how many times do we expect God to give us an answer that’s a ‘where’ rather than a ‘what’? When God made his covenant with Abraham, an important part of it was about the where. God made a promise that Abraham and his descendants would occupy the land of Canaan. This was a strategic move as God wanted his people to be a light to the nations, he would bless them and ask them to be a blessing to others. But why Canaan?

Canaan was a key place in the days of Abraham. It was actually the confluence of the key trade routes between Africa, Asia and Europe (as we know them today). With thousands of traders travelling through Canaan, what better place to have a people who are to be a blessing to the world. Some of the people that I admire the most in life are those who commit to being light in a place that no one wants to live. I think of Mother Teresa in the slums of Calcutta, Shane Claiborne in Philadelphia or even my old lecturer Andrew Grinnell and his family in East End Park in Leeds. These are people who have devoted themselves to trying to bring about good in areas of deprivation. They’ve sacrificed suburbia for a greater calling. They’ve not sat at the edges of poorer areas and run programmes to help people, they’ve moved their lives alongside the lives of others. Rather than looking at where the nicest place to bring up their kids is, they’ve looked for areas where they can have the biggest impact. Not avoiding poor areas but trying to improve them. I suppose the question is this… What could happen if 5 Jesus-loving families moved onto a run down council estate and tried to be Jesus to that estate? It takes loving your neighbour to a new level of meaning right?! So next time you’re asking God for guidance, maybe pray with a map in front of you as well as the jobs section of the local paper.