Urban Current

by Charles Lyons Her complexion suggested strong chai. Slight of build, she still easily pushed the wheelchair containing my elderly mother through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. She had arrived less than a year ago from Myanmar […]

by Charles Lyons Son of slaves, African American father, Cherokee mother, he read the Gospel of John 20 times before he was ten years old. At age 20, the testimony of Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. […]

by Charles Lyons The silver casket resting in the front of the packed auditorium cradled Jermaine’s body. Outside, it was a sunny May Saturday. Inside, a somber congregation clouded by bereavement contemplated the life of […]

by Charles Lyons Johnny spent his days on gritty streets dodging jeepneys, suffering from the constant diet of diesel fumes. He sold cigarettes, used drugs, and sniffed glue. Scrabbling for survival, he likely never gave […]

by Charles Lyons I was on my bike. I had pulled to the curb to tighten my gearshift. Two 13-year-olds walked up. “Bike broke?” one asked. “Nah, just have to tighten something.” The banter gave […]

by Charles Lyons More than half of the world’s population today lives in urban areas. By 2050 this will increase to 75 percent. Cities not only run the world, they color the entire world. You […]

by Charles Lyons Floyd and Rad certainly stood out when they showed up in our tiny congregation in the hood. I had been pastoring a couple years. Obviously not from around here, they did seem […]

by Charles Lyons “I don’t want to go back to that white church.” I can’t tell you how those words stung me. It was Monday night outreach. The team had returned and was reporting on […]