Loving a city instead of fearing it

Marcia Simmons Ross

Recently , when I was returning to New Jersey from a vacation, I read in a magazine on the airplane that New York City is being revitalized. My thoughts wandered back to quite a few years ago when it was referred to by some as "hate city."

At that time the city was on the brink of bankruptcy, and many policemen were being shot. Everybody I knew was afraid to go there, and without realizing it I must have accepted all this even though I knew that God is everywhere and that He loves every one of His children.

One special summer evening I was driving from New Jersey to New York City to meet my husband for dinner, leaving the children at home with a baby sitter. I crossed the George Washington Bridge and turned onto the Henry Hudson Highway, but as I approached 125th Street I could see columns of black smoke coming from the area where I was headed. All traffic came to a halt. To avoid getting stuck in traffic, I turned off the highway and began to drive downtown through the inner city. All of a sudden I was overcome with fear. And all I could think of was that this was "hate city."

Suddenly I realized that this was not the right way to be thinking about things! I could never believe in hate! I believe in the teachings of Christ Jesus. Loving one another was the only rule I knew. I instantly recognized each person on the street as the loving, honest child of God. Each one was caring for his or her family and loving his or her children. The love each was expressing was what was actually true right then and pointed toward the larger love of God for His whole creation. There was no such thing as hate in God's perfect kingdom. I knew that "Love never faileth," as the Bible tells us (I Cor. 13:8, Revised Version).

Instantly, my fear disappeared and a rush of love filled my thoughts. I knew that all was well. I had a quick and pleasant trip downtown; I met my husband on time, and we had a happy evening.

I was so grateful for this awakening that I recounted the whole incident to my fourteen-year-old son the next day. He was a student in the Christian Science Sunday School, and had been taught how to think scientifically.

He quietly left the room and came back later with a T-shirt that he had just designed. It had tall buildings drawn on it, which spelled out "I love New York." I was so impressed with the idea of replacing the false, hypnotic thought of hate with the thought of love that I suggested that he send this shirt to the Mayor of New York and that this perhaps would help stop people and the press from advertising hate. So he did.

Although he never received a reply, in less than a month T-shirts that said "I love New York" began to be sold in New York City, and we heard no more talk about "hate city."

Marcia Simmons Ross
Glen Rock, New Jersey

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Want to reach us?

September 29, 1997

Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit