To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City

Whether you are someone who likes to be taught theological principles or be touched by real-life stories of transformation, Mark Gornik's book, To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City, is a must read. Do not let the title fool you into thinking that you have to be a pacifist or city-dweller to read this book. Gornik offers much to be gleaned by people of many walks of life. The book covers a range of topics that are each uniquely inspiring but undeniably intertwined. Gornik presents an enlightening overview of the inner city as an entity that "has been covered by a blanket of invisibility" but is very present across the nation today and likely to bring new challenges into the future. He provides both a historical and theological perspective that allows the reader to better understand the relevance and value of this topic to Americans everywhere. Gornik then assesses the biblically mandated mission of the church in the midst of the ever-changing inner city. He describes the church as a "grassroots body of faith" that is called to serve, renew, and bring the hope of redemption to the city. After discussing the inner city and the church within the inner city, Gornik addresses the interplay that takes place between these two entities when Christians seek to be "urban peacemakers," or people who believe that God has the power to transform self, community, and city. Gornik shares two powerful stories of urban renewal to demonstrate the hope that accompanies vision and action. The first is the biblical story of Nehemiah in Jerusalem and the second is the story of a Baltimore community called Sandtown. Both of these places had seen devastation and experienced hopelessness. Yet, Gornik reveals what is possible when the people of God "[pursue] justice at the point of the greatest suffering in the world."In 1986, Gornik and the Tibbels family recognized this suffering and, following John Perkin's model of Christian Community Development, relocated to Sandtown for the purpose of seeking the reconciliation and restoration of a community. Chapter five, "Singing a New Song," chronicles the remarkable transformations have taken place in this community. Gornik's re-telling of Sandtown's history does not offer a self-indulgent account of what happens when privileged people choose to move into the inner-city, but a humble reflection of what is possible when ordinary people, who "could never disconnect [themselves] from the options that privilege bestowed on [them]," decide to serve a community. As far as the story of Sandtown is ultimately concerned, Gornik clearly persuades the reader that the main characters are the residents, the people who did not abandon their neighborhood during the difficult times. Yet, Gornik is sure to remind the reader the even a story's heroes are not exempt from human error and that there is no single "model" for a community of faith. He quotes the well-renowned theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who says, "On innumerable occasions a whole Christian community has been shattered because it has lived on the basis of a wishful image." Gornik's presentation of the state of the inner city, the role of the people of God, and the will of the people of a community suggest that Christians do not need to wish for greatness, but believe in God's goodness. In this, Gornik delivers a convincing argument that the presence of God's harmonious peace, or "shalom," can reside in the American inner city and that peoples' faithful service can help to redeem it "block by block."

For a generation or two, White American evangelicals, probably in exactly the same proportion as their secular conterparts, have been fleeing to the suburbs to escape the social ills of the city. Even more shameful than the scale of this white flight is the fact that almost no one reflects on this critically in the church. It never occurs to most to ever teach or preach about the importance of serving the city, or developing a theology of urban life. It all comes down to a rejection of the basic Biblical impulse that we Christians are called to go toward the pain, not away from it. I do NOT think all Xians are called to live in the inner city, but I DO think we need to ask questions about serving others instead of protecting ourselves, about living in community instead of fleeing to privacy. As we seek to apply these thoughts to our lives, Gornick is an outstanding, accessible place to start.Gornick is both academically adept (he has a British PhD) and practically oriented (he planted a PCA church in inner city Baltimore). This book will challenge the most thoughtful (his footnotes alone are a massive education) and convict the most stubborn.Churches live primarily to serve themselves and compete with one another for providing services to increasingly consumeristic congregations. For all the talk about mission and service, the churches are driven by numbers, ever more elaborate programs, psychobabble, and slick buildings. At best ministries of reconciliation and justice become optional add-ons to the program menu of churches, when the Gospel requires them to be at the core of all we do in the church.Gornik lays out a sophisticated prescription for change. In teh process he does not advocate for 'mercy' ministry that humiliates its recipients. Instead he calls for simply connecting faith with life. This unfolds into a vision for restoring the shalom of God's new creation through 'thousands of little things" done "right over a period of many years." He addresses both indiviuals and structures in the process.Gornik seeks to activate the Biblical vision of urban renewal -- Isaiah's vision (Is. 58), and John's vision which closes the canon (Rev. 22). Here re-creating community is part of our shared creational identity.Yes, some may quibble with his somewhat progressive political views that make subtle appearances from time to time. But these are not necessary to his themes. Fiscal conservatives can surely share his enthusiasm for urban renewal and Christian community. This is truly an indispensible book.

I was super encouraged by the work that this man and others have done in the neighborhood of Sandtown. I am thankful for their sacrifice and example.However, in this book, the author has made several clearly wrong interpretive decisions regarding his take on certain passages of Scripture.Christians are called to work with the poor--but this doesn't mean that God prefers them. Many times Gornik quoted Jesus' teaching about the poor as if Jesus only meant those who don't have material possessions and money or who have been oppressed, etc. However, when Jesus says, "blessed are the poor," he means the poor in Spirit. It's not the literal poor people of this earth who have God's favor but those who have humbled themselves before God. Those who are no longer proud before God are the ones that God welcomes. This is just one of the many missteps that this author has taken throughout this book. Being a student of the Bible, who actually cares what the original authors intended, I found this book very grating. You don't need to misinterpret the Bible in order to develop a sound and robust theology and practice of ministry among the poor.

This book is a beautiful resource for anyone who works in underserved communities. It is informative, instructional as well as inspirational. It should be a recommended read for all humanitarians in training and would be a great value for our political leaders.Author of The Butterfly Movement & Evicting Jezebel Evicting Jezebel: The Rising Trend of Aggressive Women

I enjoyed this book very much. I truly recommend others to read it. I found this book to be very useful for class

This book is situated in the context of an American inner city. The basic premise of the book is that the best place for the Church to be is in the inner city. The Church has a role in community development and the people of the inner city has the resources that could be tapped for its own social transformation and that of the city where it belongs. It is a book for those who wish to engage in a faith-based ministry. This book will change your concepts about the Church and the role of Christians in the society. Since the book is biblically based, it is relevant in an ecumenical setting. However, since it is using a Christian lens, it may not be suitable for an inter-religious dialogue situation.