"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11, NIV).

ver since last year's terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., people with more zeal than good sense have concluded that God's will is best served by His people moving out of the world's metropolitan areas and waiting for the Lord's return in some idyllic setting far removed from the crime and temptations of the city. In support they quote Ellen White's counsels to give the impression that God's people leaving the cities is an essential prerequisite to the Lord's return.

That Mrs. White advised parents with children that their families would benefit from being raised in country settings is indisputable,¹ but to conclude that Jesus' return is somehow expedited by people leaving the cities is a tragic misinterpretation of the events that will precede the Lord's return. In fact, abandoning the cities at this crucial time is diametrically opposed to both the spirit and testimony of Scripture.

Jesus' first advent occurred specifically because people needed to see God's character in bodily form in Christ's life and ministry. The inhabitants of today's cities don't need any more printed testimonies or slick prerecorded television or radio spots to convince them that Christ loves them; they need to see people daily living kingdom principles. They need the sympathy and support of believers who understand and live God's grace as the solution to this world's problems.

In Philippians 2 the apostle Paul describes how Jesus sacrificed all He had, to the point of dying on the cross, for our sakes. Yet some claim that we honor God by heading for the hills (literally) in a blatant demonstration of self-preservation. That's not the spirit of Christ.

Jesus told His disciples, "This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matt. 24:14, NIV). The problem with people who think the Father is postponing the Lord's return for reasons as goofy as whether they live in the cities or eat dairy products is that they thus insulate themselves from the greatest number of people who have not yet heard the gospel. They give the impression that God cares more about where they live or what they eat than He does about the billions of people around the world who do not know Christ as their Savior. That's not the spirit of Christ.

"When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people," wrote Ellen White, "then He will come to claim them as His own."² I've heard this statement interpreted so as to suggest that God has some arbitrary standard, and that when enough people reach it, Jesus will return. And from that standpoint, perhaps we'd be better off in some remote, desolate place where we can concentrate on "being spiritual."

But there's no advantage in "being spiritual" in isolation. "Let your light shine before others," said Jesus, "so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16, NRSV). We live godly lives to honor God, certainly; but we also do it to reflect the character of Christ to others. And we can't do that when we're removed from the mass of humanity.

The majority of the world's population lives in urban areas. The disciples of country living remind me of the prophet Jonah, who sat on a hill outside of Nineveh, self-absorbed in nursing his vine and waiting for the Lord to rain fire on the city. I can think of better role models, much better.

I think of Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, who proclaimed the gospel in every public place he could think of, even at the risk of his own personal safety. I think of Daniel, who served faithfully in settings of political intrigue and religious compromise. I think of Jesus, who emptied Himself of His divine prerogatives so He could reach out to the most hopeless, discouraged, and marginalized and restore them to their rightful place as God's children.

I think of the Bereans, and I wonder if they have any kin.

_________________________
¹See George R. Knight, "Another Look at City Mission," Adventist Review, December 2001.
²Christ's Object Lessons, p. 69.

_________________________
Steve Chavez is managing editor of the Adventist Review.