I'm currently reading "Planet of Slums" by Mike Davis for class. I must say that when I heard lectures about the coming urbanization of the world in the near future, I was somewhat excited because I LOVE city life.
But what I am learning from this book is that urbanization will not turn the planet into a world-wide connected NYC, but rather the world will look more like a shantytown. After spending time in Africa, I have seen first hand the conditions of what this impoverished, slum-like world will one day look like, and it is not beautiful. Africa is beautiful, but slums are not.
As I think about my struggle to decide between going and abroad and being an urban missionary, I'm finding that I may not necessarily have to decide between the two. In the new world in which we are entering, it will be necessary to both cross-cultural and prepared to interact with the poor.
Yet the change from the life of agriculture and industry reinvigorates and supports the notions of universal education. Getting by in the world will be competitive and the children of the two-thirds deserve to be educated when other viable and healthful options are unavailable to them.
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