“Rabbi, which is the greatest commandment?”
When Jesus was asked this question, he responded with not one but two commandments and, in doing so, he placed our love for our neighbor on par with our love for God. That’s a big deal!! And it has been the driving force behind Ace in the City’s work from the very beginning.
Over a decade ago, when we changed our name from Ace Hoops to Ace in the City, we articulated that “looking ahead, and as our community changes, so will Ace, as our goal is simple:
“To be a good neighbor.”
If you’ve been along for the ride over the past several years, you’ve experienced the shift in Ace’s work to focus on placemaking. Yet this work stays true to that spirit of being a good neighbor.
As Jesus shared God’s vision for humanity, he made it clear to his dying breath that God’s desire is for all people to know that they belong, for all to experience “life to the full.”
If that’s God’s desire for our world, then our calling is to partner with God in creating spaces where our neighbors know that they belong, no matter what. But we can’t stop there! While belonging is a worthwhile goal in and of itself, the ultimate goal is flourishing—to experience the life that God desires for every single one of us.
At the end of the day—no matter the specifics of any particular decision or action—everything we do at Ace in the City will always be shaped by the vision that compels us:
a community of belonging where all can flourish.
Thank you for partnering with us in seeking the flourishing of our neighbor!
You belong,
