Today, we continue our “New to the City” series with Brian Rather.

Today marks 1.5 months of living in San Francisco, and I often still feel like a tourist. There is so much going on at all times that I imagine it will be a while before I can call myself a true San Franciscan. However, that’s part of the charm. I am fortunate to live on Telegraph Hill as did some of my literary heroes, as well as down the street from arguably the most influential bookstore in the US. With all that to say, among the hustle and bustle of the city, it’s easy to see that the Gospel has mostly been shoved to the side and forgotten. One way to illustrate this is through an interaction I had a couple of days ago.

I met a man who had been living in San Francisco for more than 35 years with his partner. We talked for about an hour about the city. He shared his pessimistic views as most do when reflecting on the “good times”, but brought up a good point. He said that in San Francisco, people have to work so hard to maintain their desired standard of living, that time for anything else is rare.

The team at Redemption SF recognized this before we all moved out here, and what this man said helps me more clearly define my purpose in the city. I am here to reveal the Gospel to those who are blind to what it offers, and bring those people on a journey with Christ, so that they can do the same.