ARE SOME CITIES 

DIFFERENT 

FROM OTHER CITIES?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 15 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Are Some Cities Different From Other Cities?”

That’s a question  that popped up for me from today’s readings.

I don’t know the answer to the question.

I don’t even  know if that’s a good question.

Of course some cities are more interesting - have more to offer - than other cities. So I suppose the first answer should be: “It all depends.”

It all depends on what you like or what you’re looking for.  It all depends on whether you visit cities for shows or historic sites or churches or holy places or parks or water or weather - and what time of the year we’re looking at.

When I lived in Lima, Ohio, we used to drive from there to Leipsic, Ohio. On the way there was this tiny, tiny little town or village we’d go through. It was ugly. It looked like every piece of property had all the cars they every owned - but  rusted out on their front, side, back, lawn. It was an ugly place to drive through.

Compared to lots of other places, that town was different than other towns.

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s two readings - plus the Psalm - mention is made of many cities: Jerusalem, Damascus and Samaria in the first reading; Jerusalem in the Psalm; and Chorazin, Bethsaida, Tyre, Sidon, Capernaum and Sodom in the Gospel. [1]

Isaiah - like many of the prophets - voices warnings against Jerusalem - because of its sins and behaviors. Jesus, follows suit, in lashing out and challenging various towns in Israel.

A MESSAGE FOR US

The obvious message for us here in Annapolis and in our neighborhoods - is that there is respect, justice, kindness, and concern of all for all.

My first impression of Annapolis was that it had a lot of red bricks.

My next big impression of Annapolis was the neighborhoods - lots and lots and lots of specific places: Watergate, Hillsmere, The Downs, Sherwood Forest, Hunt Meadow, Pendennis Mount, St. Margaret’s, Murray Hill, Historic Downtown Annapolis, and on and on and on.

Next came the surprises - besides being lost - of nice things I’ve seen in Annapolis: a party over in Eastport at a swimming club as a fund raiser for someone who needed financial help because of cancer; a house blessing for some folks somewhere in Bay Ridge - their house burnt down - and someone lent their extra house to the family till they recovered; a funeral party in a house with a great porch and big lawn somewhere near the old hospital; and then there was another post funeral celebration in a house just off Bay Ridge Avenue - a right turn after the right turn for Arundel by the Bay.

So for starters hospitality and community support for each other certainly are goals for places where we live and might like to visit.

I went to an outdoor wedding reception in a back yard down on the other side of Riva Road - heading south. The father of the bridegroom contacted every neighbor on the street - telling them what he would like - the music will stop by 8 or 9 PM and there will be lots of cars on the street that Saturday.

Those are obvious - the tougher values would be caring for the poor - the hungry - the stuck.

Tough issues. St. Mary’s certainly does a lot by the donations for the poor that go to Lighthouse Shelter as well as to the many people who come from assistance every Monday night and every Wednesday afternoon. That’s a wonderful sight to see in the city of Annapolis.

I also like the silver pans of water for dogs on Main Street and the Real Estate place just over the Eastport Bridge.

CONCLUSION

So I guess each of us has to reflect on what we can do to make our town and our neighborhood a nice place to be and a nice place to visit.

NOTES

[1] Isaiah 7:1-9; Psalm 48: 2-3a, 3b-4, 5-6, 7-8; Matthew 11:20-24