My Urban Jungle

In case you haven't caught on, I live in Philly and have for most of my life.

Northeast Philly is where I grew up, went to high school at Broad and Olney, left for Drexel at 18 and now 8 years later, I am still in the University City section of West Philly. Center City is where I work. South Philly is where I grab brunch. You'll find me at Baltimore Ave when I want Ethiopian food. Occasionally I visit my artsy, hipster friends around the art museum, where I instantly stand out for not rocking skinny jeans or stringy hair. Crazy Jersey people tend to flood Old City, so my visits there are more rare, though a great flick at the Ritz will usually motivate me .

I like the city. Not everyone does, but I dig the energy.

Where else can I get off the elevator at work and go past a herd of people in wheelchairs protesting about fair housing, have the black guy who handles security at Macy's say bye to me in some Indian language I don't speak, and as I leave the building, go past the Scientologist handing me a tract?

As was mentioned in the Urban Ministry Conference earlier this month, you don't necessarily have to leave the country to reach an international community. The nations often collide in an urban environment. Am I taking advantage of where God has placed me currently? More thoughts on the conference later...