New York City is known as the city that never sleeps. It’s not as well known for the vibrancy of it’s religious faith, although that is changing. So perhaps there’s hope for Madison.
What would it be like if Madison was criss-crossed with people prayer walking?
That was my question as I read about the prayer-walking movement that started in New York City and is now spreading worldwide.
The article states of the New York City prayerwalk: “All together there were some 4,000 people, most of them under the age of 25 and decked out in apparel that proclaimed their shared purpose: God Belongs in My City.” The movement started in November, 2009, when one of the founders ordered 300 shirts and hoped enough young people would come to fill them. Nearly 2,000 came, in a great show of Christian unity, led by high school and college students.
I’ve seen one prayer march in New York City. It was on September 11, 2004, three years after 9/11. I was at Ground Zero, there was a lot of activity going on, and up marched a group of people led by a man with a Bible, letting people know that God was concerned about what was going on in their city. Since then we’ve been reading about the explosive growth of evangelical churches in New York City.
And since 2009 more than 70 cities have joined in the God Belongs in My City movement. Could Madison be next? Madison has a unique faith community and is not as secular as many people think. Evangelical churches are also growing here in Madison. Madison could join the movement. There is hope for Madison!