To avoid integration, we must first be able to see and reject the seduction of the city. The city’s promise that it can enable us to fulfill our Responsibilities for Self-Belonging demands us to give everything over to making a name for ourselves, establishing our autonomy, and building a good life free from limits. It promises to help us achieve this through its laws, technology, social norms, and stories. But it is an empty and soul-sucking promise. So our first task is to rightly discern and reject the spirit of the city while praying for the city’s welfare.
