new york, new york
history is happening in manhattan and we just happen to be in the greatest city in the world
Emily and I joined our good friends this Sunday who were searching for a new apartment in New York City. In some ways, it reminded Emily and I of our time hunting for apartments in Chicago and, of course, more recently hunting for our home in Milwaukee.
The struggles of apartment hunting in a city of millions is a right of passage. You deal with the hefty rent, broker fees, the tiny apartments, the downstairs laundry—all because there is nothing like walking out of your apartment directly onto a street buzzing with people and cars. From your apartment window, you can witness the world change right in front of you. You deal with all of these things because you want to live where businesses are starting, deals are made, books are crafted, and grassroots movements are gaining momentum.
It reminds me of my favorite lines from Hamilton— “Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now. History is happening in Manhattan and we just happen to be in the greatest city in the world” (from “The Schuyler Sisters”)
You live in New York, D.C., Chicago, L.A—places like this—because you want to look around and be a part of, and perhaps even lead, those moments that history will never forget.
Living in the city, you are also constantly reminded of how many people exist in the world. You can walk for hours and never pass the same person twice. You can sit in Penn Station and watch countless people moving from one place to the next or attend a concert in Madison Square Garden where twenty thousand people can converge to hear an artist.
How can a common good exist among all these people? To be honest, I don’t know. But perhaps the imago Dei—that shared bearing of God’s image—is a starting point? Maybe an understanding of the common good can begin with a shared reality among all people across time and place?
Well, this weekend I head to Chicago to speak at a conference and, for the second weekend in a row, will be back on those busy city streets. So, you can bet on more thoughts on the common good and imago Dei coming next week.
Reading:
Our Names Become Bridges — Yanan Melo in Christianity Today
Apocalypse Now: How the Left and Right Get Danger Wrong - Michael Wear in Christianity Today
Watching:
Under the Banner of Heaven (Hulu)
Listening:
The Heart Part Five - Kendrick Lamar
Heat of the Summer (Playlist)
WE (Album) - Arcade Fire