Localizing Your World

You are living in a special place. I mean, there is no neighborhood in the world like yours. The people who live in your neighborhood can’t be replicated. The street grid, soil composition, and mix of locally-owned businesses and chain restaurants are entirely unique. There simply is no place like your neighborhood!

However, let us be the first to admit that we have not always recognized this ourselves. We are guilty of taking our neighborhood for granted. We have driven all over the city to patronize our favorite restaurants and purchase groceries wherever we were in town and failed to invest in our neighborhood.

Like us, perhaps you have never thought about your neighborhood in such a personal way, but this shift in perspective is the place where hope is birthed. For Rici and I, the moment we began to realize what a treasure our neighborhood was, we started a journey of fiercely pursuing its flourishing. The gas station on the corner became our gas station to fill up our car. The corner market became the place we go to replenish our milk supply. The restaurants in our neighborhood became the places we buy our prime rib, pasta, and tacos. The tire shop around the corner became the place we purchase our tires. Our neighbor became the only street vendor we buy our street eats from. The neighborhood park became the place our family goes when we want to play basketball.

Over the course of fifteen years, this focus upon our neighborhood has “localized our world.” It has helped us to see the unique treasures our neighborhood possesses and revealed ways we can contribute to its flourishing. We have had the privilege of seeing many of our neighbors and members of our church adopt this same focus, unlocking a very powerful economic and social force. It has increased our family’s sense of mission and empowered us to become contributing members of our neighborhood’s success. We are shaping our neighborhood’s future and our neighborhood is shaping the way our family lives in the present. We are being changed, and our hope is that you will experience the same as you uncover the greatness of your own neighborhood.