Bless the City: God’s Heart for Our City—and Ours

Written By Maggie Hightower

If you’ve spent time in churches, you’ve probably noticed a divide. Some churches—often more theologically conservative—burn white-hot for evangelism and global mission, yet struggle to engage mercy ministry and community renewal. Others—often more progressive—pour themselves out for social justice, yet rarely call people to repentance and faith in Jesus.

One of the things I love about Christ Covenant is that we refuse to choose. We hold both together because the Bible holds both together. The Great Commission (make disciples of all nations) and the Great Commandment (love your neighbor) are not competing priorities; they are inseparable callings. That’s why you’ll find our people sharing the gospel, planting churches, and supporting mission—and also welcoming refugees, serving vulnerable children, and caring for the poor with the hope of lasting gospel renewal.

This is the heartbeat of Bless the City. And few places in Scripture display God’s heart for cities—and our calling within them—like the book of Jonah.

What Jonah Shows Us About God

Jonah 4:1–11 gives a window into the heart of God and the heart of man. First, God:

1) Rules in providence.
 Across Jonah we read, “the Lord hurled… the Lord appointed… the Lord caused.” In chapter 4 alone, God appoints a plant, a worm, and a scorching wind. God is not a distant observer; he is the Author providing all things. That’s why the most important thing about us is our relationship with him. When we trust the One who is in control, we find peace—even in hard places.

2) Abounds in mercy.
 Jonah knew God’s character: “gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” The Assyrians were notoriously brutal. By any human calculus, they deserved judgment. Yet when they repented, God relented. Mercy is only meaningful where real consequence exists—and here, grace stunned the ancient world. It should still stun us. God’s mercy runs deeper than human evil.

3) Loves cities.
 God’s closing question to Jonah is striking: “Should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, with more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left—and also much cattle?” God cares about the crowd (people), the chaos (brokenness he moves toward), and even the culture (the “cattle” evoking commerce, livelihood, and worship). Cities concentrate all three. God doesn’t retreat from that complexity; he runs into it for redemption.

What Jonah Exposes in Us

If God’s heart runs toward the city, Jonah’s heart (and often ours) runs toward comfort, control, and “winning.”

1) We prefer comfort to mission.
 When Nineveh repented, Jonah fumed. When a plant gave him shade, he rejoiced. Comfort made him “exceedingly glad”; revival made him angry. Mission is messy and costly. Comfort is easy. Yet the call of Jesus is to stay in the mess—among the crowd, in the chaos—so that grace can do its work.

2) We chase culture war over heart change.
 Jonah wanted Assyria defeated, not discipled. He had a political outcome in mind, not a spiritual awakening. We can fall into the same trap—believing that if “our side” wins, renewal will follow. But the gospel moves upstream of every culture war. Real transformation begins with repentance and faith, and spills out into changed lives, families, neighborhoods, and systems.

3) We’re circumstantially fragile.
 Jonah rides an emotional roller coaster—elated by shade, undone by heat. God gently exposes this: “You pity the plant… for which you did not labor.” In other words, you don’t control your circumstances; don’t let them control you. Poise and steadiness come from trusting God, not managing outcomes.

The Better Prophet—and Our Next Step

Jonah ends with a question: “Should I not pity Nineveh?” Scripture records no answer. But God has given us a better Prophet who is the answer—Jesus. When the Father sent him to a far country, he came. He entered our chaos, bore our sin, and rose to bring us into the mercy Jonah resented. By his Spirit, he is with us now, forming a people who run toward need with truth and love.

If you’ve tasted his grace, you know what comes next: go and do likewise.

How We “Bless the City” Together

  • Run toward the crowd

    • Join us in ministries that meet people where they are—refugee care, tutoring and mentoring, and compassionate outreach among the homeless and materially poor.

  • Step into the chaos

    • Serve with teams that carry practical help and the hope of the gospel—food, housing support, relational presence, and prayer.

  • Shape the culture

    • Use your vocation for kingdom good—create, build, lead, and labor with integrity so that Atlanta’s arts, businesses, and civic life reflect God’s justice and mercy.

  • Hold grace and truth together

    • Share Jesus as you serve. We don’t choose between proclamation and compassion; we practice both in the name of Christ.

The question God asked Jonah comes to us in Atlanta: “Should I not pity this great city?”
 By his grace, may our answer be a resounding yes—in our prayers, our giving, our serving, and our presence.

Let’s trust him. Let’s love our neighbors. Let’s bless the city.

Maggie Hightower