City on a Hill: A Mystery

Naalya, is a fast-developing town just outside the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda’s capital. Close to 18 years ago, my relatives moved to Naalya. They were among the first settlers on their street. As I speak now, all parts of the street have families that have lived there for more than 10 years.There is no longer ‘free’ land lying around.

Recently, Comfort Homes built a block off Naalya Namugongo road, and named it ‘Casa Belvedere’. The road to this particular block was dusty, and to attract the people, the road was tarmacked (We too benefited from this). Now many people moved into the neighborhood and life was made better for hundreds existing this side of Naalya

Notice; how population increases in cities. There could be a high standard of living in cities, but we can choose to focus on the positives in cities; Let’s use Dubai as an example; I haven’t seen dense slums there. Electricity is always on, health services and educational are abundant. The internet and access and economic growth is on another level. Joy and fun are also commonplace as we see millions fly to Dubai for vacations, sky diving, ‘sand driving’, movie making and so much more!

Now the Bible says you are not only a city (like Dubai), on top of that, you are on a hill. We’ve seen what the city looks like. How about the hill? It’s always easy to look up to things at higher altitudes. Hills, long ago were never wasted. In Uganda, we see Cathedrals like Rubaga and Namirembe, established on one of the highest peaks in the city

Pearl of Africa Hotel follows, and Bahai temple. I never miss admiring Skyz Hotel on Naguru hill as it illuminates with eye catching lights every night. These buildings can rarely be ignored. They are sort of like landmarks, to point someone in the right direction in case they are lost.

That’s one mystery there; you as a city, how many people have you pointed ‘home’ when they are lost on earth? How many marriages have you rescued? How many people have you added to value to or contributed to their welfare? If you have none, then you are not proving that you are a city on a hill.

Cities have high standards of living, which literally is a strain, but in other capitals, great; I’d rephrase it as; how many people have you challenged to raise their standards? Do you leave someone worse than you found them, or do you better them to the uttermost?

Cities are wealthy environments (slums in growing countries aside…Picture Dubai now) and wealth makes many friends. Influence is a child, to show that you are a city; how big is your following? How many friends do you have?When King Solomon said ‘wealth makes many friends’, he didn’t specify whether broke or rich.

In Dubai we see many rich people fly in. But we also see many broke people coming in to find jobs or ‘kyeyo’ to better their lives. The quality of your ‘citism’ is determined by an equal strain in both categories of friends, meaning, you have so many rich friends, and so many broke people want to befriend you as well just like how we see Kololo dwellers and rural urban immigrants trying to stay in the same city.

Think about it. If your only friends are the rich, then you are having no impact in the community or world at large, for ‘the poor shall always be among you’. If your only friends are the poor then you are in danger of coming down to their level. A city is sort of an escalator where as you rise following other rich men on top, the poor are beneath inspired by you, desiring to better their lives and get on their way up to where you’ve been.

It’s like a conveyor belt. 400 bottles ahead are filled and branded, sealed and being placed in crates. There’s a bottle somewhere, fresh onto the belt, having no drink within, no branding having seemingly no value but it’s on the same trail to becoming like the 400!

Cities always have resources; electricity and water among others. If you are always the one who is in need then I’m afraid you are shaming the notion ‘City on a Hill’. Cities are sources; sources of education, sources of healing with medical centers everywhere! Ask yourself; ‘can someone learn from me? And if they can, I’m I able to teach them and a matter sticks’? Ask again, ‘can someone receive healing for anything from me, be it mere sickness or poverty?’ We could go on and on and on.

But just like Comfort Homes moved into my neighborhood, and brought a tarmac road to us, you as a City on a Hill, when you move into someone’s life, or a neighborhood, you have to bring tremendous acceleration and development with you.

It’s a sign that follows you that can only be unlocked when you understand this mystery. For starters, a city can’t develop others when it itself isn’t developed. Begin by growing your social, physical, financial, intellectual and mostly spiritual capital and see if nations and peoples will resist flowing to your hill to gain all these things that are a city has to offer!

I see all sorts of men coming to you from allover the world.

Quickly, get yourself in order!