It all works together

           It all works together. One way or the other. The other day I saw an ad saying that the Calgary Stampede brings in over 400 million dollars in revenue for the province. Why did they post that? Are their people who want the Stampede to disappear? Oh, I know there are. Then there is this other philosophy. Recently in Calgary the public wants to try having no professional sports teams or facilities. Yet, they want to be a front runner as a city on the world stage. We will hold the Olympics. We will bring in big business. Yet, we will do it without any attractions to this great city.

            Some people have this philosophy that we don’t need shiny things to attract people to the city. Will the mountains be enough? Will Banff be enough? Will the arts be enough? I feel that Calgary is going to be the great city experiment. They are hell bent on trying this. Let’s get rid of all we were and reinvent ourselves. In the mean time we will throw open our doors for people to come live here.

            This experiment will ask some interesting questions. Can a city lose all it’s professional sports teams (4) and survive? Of course, they will survive, but you will eradicate about 4000 jobs. The bars will change. The radio will change. The culture will change. Will the kids change without local hero’s? I don’t know but were going to find out. Will bored youth create more crime? Were going to find out. Will it cost the economy? We are going to find out.

            I like the fact that we will try this. It’s all based on the current philosophy. Will it work? What happens if it doesn’t? One reporter said that either way we will build new sports facilities. With this Mayor or the next it will be a conversation. Is he right? Will the identity of this city just reinvent itself? Will big business buy it? The problem as I see it is this. If it works then cool. If it goes badly then what made this city great will be lost. The current leadership will walk away leaving a smoldering mess.

            What does God have to say? In Revelation 2 and 3 of the Bible we see this experiment played out. There are 7 cities. God describes their identity. One is on fire for God. Another is hot and cold. Another will waste away ignoring God altogether. A city will affect its people. If you drive across this continent you will see great cities and deserted ghost towns. Why? I think it’s because some cities have in the moment era’s. They have nothing that grounds them. There was never any identity. They took what they could and then ran.

            We need something to believe in. We need something to hold on to. What makes us a city? San Francisco has a gay community. They are a good sports town. LA has struggled with it’s sports teams. It has not struggled to attract gangs. Several cities like Seattle and Winnipeg lost their teams. Why have they sought out new facilities and new teams? There are plenty more examples too. What makes Egypt great? Awesome ruins and great legacy of ancient peoples. What makes China amazing? Is it a wall or long-standing traditions?

            I don’t believe for a second that we can win this experiment. Calgary will try and it will burn to the ground. What will be left? The leaders won’t care. They will try and if it fails they will slip away into the night. What will be left? A listless people with nothing to call home. What will galvanize this community? Mountains? Banff? Edmonton? Big business? What drives a city? I don’t know but were going to find out. My fear is that things work together. If you get rid of everything then nothing can work together. Can it?

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