Hope and Not Faith for America’s Cities
I had never really thought about the difference between faith and hope before going to a book talk about DeRay Mckesson’s new book On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope. During the talk, Mckesson brings up the idea that hope is work. He says, “hope is the active conviction that despair will not overcome.”
For cities like Flint, faith is not enough. There must be hope. There must be an active conviction. I hope that my book has shown you what you personally can do about that active conviction.
If you feel that you’re unhappy with where you live or that you don’t like what’s happening to America, then I hope you will do something about it. That you will see how to engage within your city. That you will see the power that you have within you. And harness your ability to create, to make the impact that you’ve always wanted to have.
Millennials are quickly finding our voice, and how we use that voice is what will make a difference. This book, this blog series, has been my way of showing people that there is more to life than living in the middle of nowhere or living in New York City. That they can be whoever they like, and part of defining that can also be re-thinking about where they live.
The world around us is changing because we are. Our habits are not the habits of people 15 years ago. For example, almost none of my friends carry cash, but when I was growing up my parents would always have cash on hand. We’re changing what we choose to do, and with that we are changing the cities that we live in.
Rethink where you live. Re-imagine what where you live could be. Take a chance and move to a city that’s growing. And even if you don’t think about how you engage with the city you live in now. How does that define you? How could you help define it? Our cities don’t need your faith that they will change for the better they need your hope, your active participation in helping them get there.
During a time where more people are feeling empowered to run for local government, to run for school boards, to involve themselves in the policy side of where they live, I’d love for the everyday millennial to think about how they too can change their city through the everyday choices they make.
I hope you have enjoyed this blog series focusing on the topics in my book, Millenials and the Resurgence of the American City. If you want to connect, you can reach me here via email gkim9779@gmail.com or connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Also, you can find my book, on Amazon — here is the link to buy it: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KPCBJDR
