Following the Urban Expressions meeting on Monday night, the group of 4 of us who went to the open evening ended up on top of a hill in Anniesland overlooking Glasgow, praying and worshiping. That’s where Hope City comes in. Glasgow is a place of brokenness, a place known as Stab City. No longer. Her new name is Hope City.
The image comes from Isaiah 6, where Isaiah has a vision of God, the Holy One, and is overwhelmed with his brokeness. In essence it is Isaiah’s calling, but what to? He is to deliver a message to the people – that God will harden their hearts, and the people wont understand it. Isaiah, understandably, asks how long this will last for… something I think all 4 of us have asked, either for Glasgow or for other places on our hearts (Ahoghill, Dundonald, Govan, Kigali to name a few). God’s response? Not a very encouraging one it would seem…
Then I said, “For how long, O Lord?”
And he answered:
“Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,
until the LORD has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
This vision will come to pass…
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