Vision Problems

A popular contemporary Christian song has as its chorus the rhetorical question, “How Great is our God ?”. The answer is obvious. Our God is really, really, really great. However, if we turn the Chris Tomlin lyrics around slightly, we have a very powerful question. If we ask, “How great is our God?” we find a question that may help us immensely in our Christian experience. Let me explain.

If you are like me, as life comes at you it is easy to get overwhelmed by it or very frustrated in it. It is easy to have in one’s soul a sense of discouragement. I think that all of that is normal. However, as a believer in the LORD Almighty and a follower of His Son Jesus Christ it seems my perspective should be much different. When it isn’t different, someone could rightfully ask, “How great is your God?”

I think most of us need to get a fresh vision of the greatness of God. One need only think about the universe for a few moments and one will be awestruck by just how great our God is.

Do you know that the Milky Way, the Galaxy we live in, is 5.88 Billion light years across. That means if I start on one side of the galaxy and if I travel at the speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per second, in just about 6 billion years I will arrive at the other side. And remember, our galaxy is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe.

We don’t know how wide, deep or high the known universe is because we can’t measure it. It is impossible to measure. We do know that it is humongous. It was created by, as one author has put it, a “giamongous God”. God’s immensity is demonstrated by the fact that He spoke this universe into existence from nothing. The Bible also tells us that He measures the universe with the width of His hand (Isaiah 40:12). This poetic language should make us pause and exclaim “How great is our God!”.

I think two things happen when I understand how great God is. Psalm 8, where the Psalmist proclaims “Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth” brings out these two truths. In light of the immensity of God the Psalmist (David) sees how small and insignificant we really are. He says “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Ps 8:3-4)”. Then he realizes how special and important we really are to God. He continues, “You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet (Ps. 8:5-6)”.

God is great and His love for us is great. You and I could not be more loved or better cared for as His children. In addition, He has great plans for us, both for now and in eternity. What we need to do is focus on Him and who He really is. As we do so those enormous overwhelming situations that we are facing will look small in comparison to our great God. Let us sing with the ancient hymn writer, “Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art, Thou my best Thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.”
Blessings, Dave Watson, An Urban Christian

This Year, Skip Christmas

In the holiday movie comedy, “Christmas with the Kranks,” Luther and Nora Krank decide to boycott everything Christmas. Instead they decide to use the money they save to go on a trip to the Caribbean. Their friends and neighbors are mortified by their lack of the holiday spirit, especially since they were usually the must raucous celebrators of Christmas in the neighborhood. By movie’s end though, by some miracle, they finally come to celebrate the season and everyone lives happily ever after.

With all the hustle and bustle, is it any wonder someone would want to skip Christmas? You’ve probably thought about doing just that, but you have never had the nerve to vocalize your thoughts much less act upon them. You were afraid someone would brand you a scrooge or look at you as if you were unspiritual for not having the Christmas spirit.

Today, I want to propose something radical. I think all the trappings we put on Christmas hide its real purpose. I know that all the stress we feel at Christmas robs us of the joy associated with the season’s true meaning. I am sure that we all agree that the busyness of the season squeezes out any genuine reflection of its significance. I loathe, as you do, that the season is all about anything but what it is really all about. My proposal is quite simple. This year, skip Christmas. Instead of Christmas, as our world knows it, really celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

This is a noble proposal don’t you think? Instead of trying to multi-task this holiday season be single minded. First and foremost, decide you and yours will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Lord, the Savior of the world.

How, you may ask. can we possibly do this? Let me suggest five very simple ways this can be accomplished in our lives.

First, don’t get caught up in the Christmas shows but rather get re-acquainted again with the real Christmas story. Let me remind you that “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”, and “A Wonderful Life” are not the real deal. We find the real story in our Bibles in the gospels. Take time to read and meditate on this, the greatest story ever told. Make sure your family does the same.

Secondly, don’t focus on your gifts but rather worship the Gift-Giver who gave the ultimate gift. Christmas is not about what we can do to show others we love them. It is about what God has already done to show us the greatness of His love for us (See John 3:16). The best gift you or I have ever given or that we have ever received cannot compare with what God has given. Our response to Him should be like that of the Apostle Paul who proclaimed “Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift!”

Thirdly, don’t look for the Christmas mood but rather live out the message found at the coming of our Lord. The “Christmas spirit” is elusive at best. The words about Jesus’ coming are not. He came to seek and save that which is lost and we must do the same. He came to give a better quality of life and we should seek to experience that as well. How silly it would be for us to give out gifts at Christmas without telling people about our Savior.

Fourthly, don’t get caught up in putting up decorations. Instead make sure you put on the mind of Christ. At His first advent it is said of Jesus “Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” (Philippians 2:6-7a). People are not impressed by our houses trimmed with lights. They are, however, drawn to Christ when our lives reflect His light via our good works.

Fifth and finally, don’t over romanticize about the babe in a manger. Instead, remember that the baby is the Lord of glory. One day He will come again to this earth. He will set up His kingdom and He shall reign forever and ever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah; hallelujah. Amen. Hallelujah; hallelujah. Amen.

Blessings,

Dave Watson, An Urban Christian

Jesus and Zuccotti Park

The Occupy Wall Street Moment suffered a set back this week when the NYPD evicted the protesters from Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan. The protestors had been there for nearly two full months and are vowing to return. The OWSM (Occupy Wall Street Moment) in New York has given rise to similar protests in major cities across the United States as well as in some foreign countries. It is not yet known if the police and other authorities are now prepared to permanently squelch the protests because of concerns over violence and other illegal activities.

Regardless of how you feel about the OWS protests and movement it would do us all well to listen to what those involved are saying to us in a broader sense. There is a powerful message for God’s people to understand and act on.

The OWSM comes out of the discontent many in our world have come to know with reference to our capitalistic society. Please don’t misunderstand me here. I am a firm believer in capitalism as an economic system. It is my opinion that socialism is another name for shared poverty and I really don’t want anything to do with that. However, let it also be said that capitalism and its cousin materialism are petri dishes for the cultivating of the lusts of the flesh and lusts of the eyes and the greed, covetousness, and jealousy associated there with.

Over the last few months we have heard statements dealing with “the inequality of wealth distribution” and the need for a more “equitable system”. The cry has been, “we are the 99%”. Many, if not most of these protestors are feeling cheated out of their share of “The American Dream”. They believed, as most of us have, that the ticket we need to dance at the ball was a college education. Based on that assumption, they borrowed and borrowed to get that ticket only to find that the dance had been cancelled. They feel that they were duped and they are mad as heck about it.

This movement is not going away anytime soon. In one form or another it is here to stay. Thus, it is critical that the church not turn a deaf ear to this group of people. These protestors in our city and in cities all over the nation and globe speak to a real yearning in the heart of men and women for fulfillment, for more to life than they are presently experiencing. God’s church has a message for “such a time as this”.

Right now across our culture the strong cries for forgiveness of student loans, provision of high paying jobs and lower salaries for corporate executives are actually a desire for the dignity a job brings, the feeling of security money in the bank imparts, and the liberty and autonomy that moving away from home surely gives. The OWS cause is based on the common felt needs shared by all people.

Here is the good news. God’s people, the church, have an app for that. In John 10:10 we read “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Speaking to His disciples 2000 years ago Jesus Christ recognizes and declares that we have an enemy who is seeking to bring ruin upon individuals using any means. Jesus also wants them and us to know that the purpose for His coming is to give us not just life but beyond that, He offers us life to the fullest.

Through Christ we know the dignity of being made in the image of God and having such worth that God sent Jesus to die for us. Faith in Christ enables us be secure and have a peace that is not determined by the circumstances of lives. The Christian doctrine affirms the equality of all people and promises freedom and liberty from the power and penalty of our sin.

We have the real treasure that the Occupy Wall Street Movement needs and desires. A personal relationship with Christ meets the deepest need of the hearts of those all over the world who are crying out in frustration. Heads up church, we’ve got what they need. Let’s seek to meet all who are without Christ where they are and lead them to where we have been lead by the grace of God.

In His Service,

Dave Watson - An Urban Christian

Ten Years Ago Today

Ten Years Ago Today – By Dave Watson, An Urban Christain

Ten years ago it was a beautiful September morning,
A perfect transition from summer to fall.

Ten years ago it was just another work day, a school day, a Tuesday
A Primary Day to choose Mayoral candidates

Ten years ago the city felt good, housing was up, the economy was great, stocks were high and our spirits were even higher.

But all that changed ten years ago, ten years ago today.
And we will never forget!

Ten years ago terror struck our city
Struck our towers, struck them twice

Ten years ago evil incarnate showed up and did the unimaginable
Nearly three thousand innocents were murdered, murdered in broad daylight

Moms and dads, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers,
Snuffed out by the thief who comes but to rob and to kill and to destroy

Oh the horror ten years ago, ten years ago today.
And we can never forgot

And then their were the firefighters and cops
The probies and the vets who ascended the towers and never came back

They journeyed from their firehouses & their precincts as they had so many days before
But this time it was different, different in the worst kind of way
For many it was the last ride of their lives

They fulfilled their calling as public servants.
They were and always will be NYC’s Finest and NYC’s Bravest

They became forever this cities heroes ten years ago, ten years ago today
And we must never forget


Today it’s 9-11 instead of September 11th
Today we are still on edge, still nervous about another attack

Today they have filled the hole and began the rebuilding
Today they say there’s closure since we got Bin Laden

But today there are still empty seats at dinners
Today there are empty seats at christenings, at graduations and at Little League games too.

Today there are empty spaces where dad was suppose to be at the wedding or where mom was suppose be at the baby shower
But most of all there are empty places in our hearts

So Lord we pray this day we will feel your presence and know your love.
Without you we can’t make it through this season, this day

They say time heals all wounds but Lord, you don’t say that, they do
Some holes are just so deep that gravel and steel and buildings and time cannot fill them.
Only eternity can. Then You will wipe away every tear from our eyes
Until then, we can never forget

The horror, the pain, the disbelief,
The courage, the faith, the duty, so clearly displayed
Ten years ago, ten years ago today

No Changing the Channel

This past week, the Mayor of our fine city inferred that myself and others who are against the sanctioning of same sex marriages by the state were “civil rights obstructionists.” Though I don’t agree with this title, I am grateful for his characterization. I am grateful because it beats the other names such as homophobic, bigoted and blanky-blank-blank that anyone who dares oppose the gay marriage lobby is called. I don’t agree with the characterization because though I am firmly against same sex marriages, I do firmly believe that all individuals are created in the image of God and thus they have value in His eyes beyond our comprehension. I also affirm with the founding document of this nation (The Declaration of Independence) “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Equal Rights
With that said, I want to give four reasons to explain my opposition to the sanctioning of same sex marriage. First of all I think that the argument that equal rights means that we all have the same rights is incorrect. Equality is not sameness. We are all equal but we are not all the same. Our rights are equal but they don’t play out the same. Women and men are equal, but who they are and what they can and cannot do is not the same. Reality requires that I accept the fact that though my wife and I are equal under the law, she, not I is able to conceive and bear a child. She is different from me biologically. If someone advertises on Craig’s List for a surrogate to carry a couples’ child and I apply and I am turned down for no other reason than my gender, have I been discriminated against? No. I simply do not have the equipment that would qualify me for this task. I am equal but I am not the same. My equality doesn’t give me the right to be something I am not. Same sex couples may indeed be equal to hetero-sexual couples, but they are not the same. The biology and psychology of their relationships are different than those of hetero-sexual couples.

Definitions
This brings me to a second point. Marriage is the union of two individuals. No matter how much effort same sex couples put into their relationship, they cannot experience exactly what married couples experience in regard to this union. No matter how committed they are to one another, no matter how long they stay together, they will never have the ability to fully reflect what marriage is and has been for centuries. Hetero-sexual couples consummate and unite themselves via a very specific act. This consummation has both physical and psychological ramifications. This act is not reproducible in same sex couples. In addition, married couples, with few exceptions, conceive children through this act. Also, married couples bring two different psyches to their union -- male and female. This is for the benefit of each other, the benefit of child rearing and the benefit of society in general. This unique union of male and female makes up a married couple. It is improper to lead anyone to believe that they can experience what marriage is without having the potential to share in this basic element of what marriage has always been. Marriage is the union of male and female, intimately, both physiologically and psychologically.

I am not claiming that same-sex couples don’t have love for one another, but to assume that their love is the same as the love of heterosexual couples is simply incorrect. Love is a broad word with many different meanings. I love my mother but my love for my wife is quite different than my love for mom. I love my brother and sisters but my love for my wife is quite different from my love for my siblings. I have some friends both male and female whom I really love, but again my love for my wife is different than that love. To love someone of the same gender, no matter how intensely, is not the same physically and psychologically as the love that a man and a woman share. This love requires that the participants go far beyond their own understanding and seek to live with, understand, sync with and become a partner of someone who, by their very nature; thinks, feels, and acts very differently than they do. The love and level of commitment which exist between same-sex couples may be many things, but it is not the same as the love that exists between two people from two different genders. Therefore, it can be called many things but it cannot be called a marriage.

Unintended Consequences
Thirdly, I believe that the law of unintended consequences must strongly be considered here. I am a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. My convictions both Biblically and personally make it impossible for me to preside over a same sex marriage ceremony. Should I be forced to do these marriages regardless of my convictions and religious beliefs? I am sure you would agree that I should not be forced to violate my convictions. Presently I am quite confident that I would not be forced to officiate for this type of ceremony. However, if our state redefines marriage to include same sex couples, I expect that the requirement that ministers perform these ceremonies is not far behind. I realize that this sounds like I am overly concerned about how this will specifically impact my profession…but let’s look at the social impact more closely.

How will this impact the owners of catering halls in our city and state? What if they don’t want to allow a same sex marriage in their hall because of their convictions? Could they say no to a same sex marriage reception? Not on your life! This is true of florists, of jewelers, of bakeries, and of limo companies not to mention the lawyers and obstetricians who might be called upon later. The bottom line is that almost everyone in our culture will have to accept and participate in same sex marriages regardless of their personal convictions no matter how strong their beliefs may be. There will not be a conscientious objector clause. I can almost hear the refrain now, “if you don’t like it…move”. Is this the direction our politicians and Mayor really want to take us? It is as if they feel those of us who oppose same sex marriage have been left back on the evolutionary chain while they have soared to new heights and new understandings. As far as they are concerned, we are still in the dark ages but they have been enlightened by their education and friendships. I find in this thinking a certain intellectual elitism that is dangerous as well as offensive.

No Turning Back
Fourthly, if same sex marriage becomes the law of this city and state it will soon result in a much broader definition of marriage then we can ever imagine. If two people of the same sex can be considered a married couple then why not three people from the same sex or two males and one female or four females and one male as is allowed in some countries. The state of New York’s recognition of marriage as being between one man and one woman stems from a Judea-Christian tradition. Proponents of same sex marriage want to do away with one part of that tradition (one man and one woman) while attempting to keep other parts of the tradition (only two people in a marriage) intact. Their only logic for this is that this is the way they want it to be. If the parameter by which marriage is defined is based solely on the whims of certain special interests at any given time, what is to prevent us from accepting any number of different “pairings” or “groupings” of individuals in the future? We may soon be left with an institution that is impossible to define or defend.

The other night while I was watching one of my favorite television programs, a scene which I found objectionable came onto the screen. In response, I didn’t call the network to complain. I didn’t write a letter to the editor. I just simply changed the channel. The reason that I am addressing this issue now, the reason I am speaking out now is that if same sex marriage becomes the law of our land there will be no opportunity for us to “change the channel.” If we change the definition of marriage, our society will experience change on virtually every level. This change will forever be imposed upon us all. There will be no opportunity for us to avoid the changes that will ensue. It is impossible to alter the foundation of a society without altering the very essence of that society. Marriages and families are the foundation on which our society stands. If we allow marriage and family to be redefined, our children, our grandchildren and our great grandchildren will live in a culture that will be forever altered. And that, my friends, would be a grave and grievous mistake.

Respectfully,

Dave Watson
An Urban Christian

Christ or Camping – Who should we believe?

The belief that Jesus Christ will come again is a clear teaching of the Bible and is accepted by most of Christendom as a whole and almost all evangelicals in particular. The statement of faith of both the National Association of Evangelicals and the Staten Island Association of Evangelicals reads, “We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ…..and in His personal return in power and glory.” The statement of faith of nearly all evangelical churches is similar. As Christians, we are told to be “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). It is said of us that we “eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20) We are even admonished to “Watch therefore because you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”(Matthew 24:42)

The doctrine of last things, or eschatology as it is sometimes called, is meant to be a great motivator for the followers of Christ who were told that “This same Jesus …will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven.”(Acts 1:11) Sadly though, teaching about the return of Christ has often been used to abuse and confuse. That is what Harold Camping and Family Radio are instigating now with their unfounded, unbiblical claim that judgment day is May 21, 2011. They have even gone as far as predicting the hour -- 6:00 P.M.

I have been a committed follower of Jesus Christ since 1973. I can remember the various predictions about the return of Christ through the years. In 1988 I received a booklet in the mail entitled “88 Reasons Christ will Return in 1988”. The next year I got the sequel, “89 Reasons Christ will Come in 1989.” In 1994 I remember some radio host predicting Christ’s return that September. That individual was Harold Camping. This will not be the first time he has been wrong and has wronged many.

After telling His disciples about His return and warning them about false predictions of messiahs, Jesus Christ told his followers the following in no uncertain terms:
“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”(Matthew 24:36) Could a verse of Scripture be clearer than this? We can’t know the hour and we can’t know the day”. Could the context be more clear? Jesus is warning against speculation about His return. Christ himself is telling us not to put dates and times on His return. Having studied Greek, the original language of the New Testament, I want to assure you that the original language does not read, No one knows except for Harold Camping.

The belief that Christ will come on May 21st 2011 and bring in a judgment day is built first on incredible arrogance. Harold Camping and his followers claim that Jesus’ words regarding no one knowing the day and the hour have been voided. They believe they have received special knowledge, an opening of a prophecy heretofore closed to us. Supposedly, the true followers (Camping and his supporters) of Christ now understand that which has been hidden in the past. It is incredibly sad to me that many believers in Christ would embrace the speculations of this group over the words of our Savior.


The belief that Christ will come on May 21st 2011 and bring in a judgment day is built also on incredible assumptions. One of the greatest of these assumptions is that we know for sure that the creation of the world occurred in 11.013 B.C. In addition, there are so many other ludicrous assumptions I can’t address them all here. Suffice it to say that none of them is provable through the Bible that this group claims to believe. None of them! The only way to these assumptions is to take Harold Camping’s word.

I have had the wonderful privilege of teaching a class on the Second Coming of Christ and other matters related to Judgment Day for fifteen years at the New York School of the Bible in Manhattan. I have been privileged to teach a similar course at the church I pastor as well as teach and preach in depth on the Old Testament prophecies of Daniel and the New Testament book of Revelation. I am a true believer and a serious Bible student and I find Camping’s teachings to be completely unfounded and unsupported by the Bible.

Why are so many sincere Christians buying ads and hunkering down for the end? I think we as believers have forgotten the instructions of Paul the apostle from the First Century. At the end of his letter to the Thessalonians, a letter that frequently mentions the second coming of Christ, Paul simply says, “Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22). All prophecies about the end must be tested. In this case we test the prediction of May 21, 2011 against the words of Christ. When we do this, the result of our “testing” need not go farther than the fact that Mr. Camping is giving a specific date and time for Christ’s return. This automatically disqualifies his prediction. Remember, Jesus said that accurate predictions of the date and time of His return would not be possible!

As Christians, we are those who have “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9b-10) It is true, that we are eagerly waiting for Jesus to come back, but we know we can’t predict when. Thus, we need not be caught up in the eschatamania (hysteria over end times) as some now are, or the eschataphobia (fear of last things) of so many others. Christians should strive to live as if our Lord were coming back today, but plan as if He is coming back years from now. Our belief in the return of Christ makes us seek to please Him everyday so that when He returns we will not be ashamed.

Speaking of being ashamed, Harold Camping and those involved in perpetrating this unbiblical rouse should be ashamed. On May 22nd they will be embarrassed. Unfortunately this is only one of many unbiblical teachings that Mr. Camping has actively propagated. Camping’s positions are not the well thought out, well reasoned beliefs of a serious Bible scholar. Instead, they are the random, baseless, careless ramblings of someone who should not be taken seriously. When Christ does return, Mr. Camping and his followers will have much to answer for.

Dave Watson, An Urban Christian

“In Christ and on Facebook”

The other day while I was riding home on the Staten Island Ferry I had an interesting technology moment. As the Ferry slowed to dock, the passengers began to congregate near the front of the boat. As I observed the crowd I noticed person after person being obsessed with their smart phones and tablets. I was actually tempted to take a picture with my Blackberry and post it on Facebook. It seemed to me that less than half the people crowded there were talking to anyone standing there. Many however were communicating with someone somewhere else.

“If a tree falls down in the wilderness and there is no one around to hear it does it still make noise” is a thought provoking question that has been asked for centuries. It makes us contemplate what makes something real. The answer of course is “yes. it still makes noise”’ because. my experience of it is not what determines its reality. Whether I or anyone else experiences the hearing of the noise of the falling tree the cause and effect of the event still happens.

We live in a media driven culture. Because of the proliferation of the smart phone in general and the IPhone in particular, we can record in picture or video almost any event of significance. Through the interfacing of social media like Facebook and Twitter or upload sites like Youtube for video and Flickr for pictures, almost instant global sharing of any significant moment in time is possible.

The recent death of death of Osma Bin Laden at the hand of Navy seals was greeted by scores of people ages 18-29 gathering in front of the White House in Washington and at Ground Zero in Manhattan. With their smart phones charged and ready, they sought to record the moment. Within minutes, the death of Bin Laden and this generation’s experience of it inhabited the cyber world now known as "the cloud".

The majority of people now in our culture were raised in front of digital media. Among them an interesting axiom has emerged. Stated simply it is “If I can’t post it or see on it on Facebook then it isn’t significant”. Reality has become dependant on what I can experience through virtual media. Its as if all of life is a movie and only by recording and posting it are we really a part of it.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a great consumer of the various media technologies. Here is the problem with all this though. My relationship with the Lord is real, dynamic and life altering. It is significant and it is not subject to Facebook, a picture can’t be taken of it and posted.

Matthew 6:6 reminds us regarding our prayer life, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Please note the reality of our private time with God. Matthew 6:3-4 speaks of our good deeds and reminds us, “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” Please note the power of our anonymously done good works.

I want to be real and genuine in my faith. The world of social media, smart phones and flip cameras cultivate superficiality. This occurs because we begin to become actors in a play for everyone to see. Thus, we start acting instead of living authentically. To some degree, participating in the unreal world of social media is unavoidable. Today, let’s keep in mind that the deepening of an authentic faith, a real faith occurs as I privately meet and respond to Jesus Christ not as I post what I want others to see of me on Facebook.

Dave Watson, An Urban Christian