Can we renew our cities in a Christian way?

I have a great love for cities; especially London, where I was born and bred. However, despite their attractiveness as major centres of cultural and intellectual activity, when we consider the UK’s soaring urban crime rates and the relatively higher incidences of self-harm and suicide in our cities, it’s clear that something has gone seriously wrong. Last year, in our urban cities and towns, there were 34.7 recorded acts of violent crime per 1,000 population, compared to 6.8 in rural areas. Additionally, there were more than double the number of vehicle offences per 1,000 in predominantly urban areas, when compared to predominantly rural areas. While social scientists have discovered an exponential relationship between population density and both deprivation and the crime rate, unravelling the underlying causes – and, more importantly, potential cures – has proven far more difficult. Frederic Le Play was a celebrated 19th-century French sociologist, engineer and economist, who, in his twenties, was converted to Christ from atheism. He was also the first scholar to investigate shifts in family configurations systematically. His ability to speak five languages and understand eight facilitated his extensive surveys of working-class families in different European, North American, Asian, North-African and Asian countries. Although a pioneering technologist, one of the key findings from his 1855 publication ‘Les ouvriers européens’ (‘European workers’) was that, despite the benefits of industry and urban development, the major social upheaval that they caused had resulted in smaller nuclear families replacing traditional extended families. He also explained that the resultant loss of intergenerational ties (including moral and religious traditions) had led to moral decay.

Despite this evidence, Le Play’s findings were keenly contested by some of the 20th century’s leading sociologists, until his position was eventually vindicated by later studies.

So, it remains true that in cities it’s far harder for communities to maintain social control and dissuade criminal activity, and for people to establish lasting relationships.

Relationships are crucial to human flourishing because the one true God is eternally and essentially relational. When, in eternity past, God’s wisdom speaks forth as God’s child (Prov. 8:22 – 26ff); when God speaks in plural (Gen. 1:26) and when David overheard God in dialogue (Ps.110:1), these are not merely prophetic examples of poetic licence. Instead, they reveal the truly relational essence of God. Or as John summarised it: ‘God is love’.

Since we are made in God’s image and likeness, relationship is central to all human identity. Ultimately, it’s the formative relationships of family life that largely shape our understanding of who we are.

For Christians, even if marriage is not intended for everyone, the overall decline in family life should be a cause for deep concern, persistent prayer and carefully considered action.

One such action is restoring ‘collective efficacy’, defined as the mutual trust among community members and willingness to intervene on the behalf of the common good. Studies have shown that collective efficacy can lead to a reduction in neighbourhood violence.

There’s even Scriptural endorsement for some of the key steps in this approach. For example:

1. Restore anchor points: (notwithstanding Covid-19 restrictions), churches (as much as parks, community centres and recreational areas) can provide an important social landmark for the community which should not be neglected. In the Old Testament, through Haggai, God chided the exiles who returned to Jerusalem about their neglect of the temple as the spiritual landmark of their community (Hag. 1:4). In response, the Jews decided that re-establishing public worship was the priority. So should we.

2. Building up: In Miami, collective efficacy developed, as residents from areas with less deprivation were mobilised by leaders to volunteer for community projects in deprived areas. Surely, as Paul enjoined (Phil. 2:3-4), putting self-interest aside for others should be central to Christian mission and community engagement.

As Christians who worship the true God, who is substance and relation, we should take every opportunity to restore relationships through collective efficacy. And that’s as true in our cities as it is elsewhere.