CORPORATE IDENTITY OF AMSTERDAM

by: Pieter Bos
date: 5/1/2006
Category: Nations

Corporate Identity of AMSTERDAM: CITY OF REFUGE.

This is the 4th article that introduces the book “The City Called”, to be released autumn 2006

Tribes, peoples, states and cities, are corporate persons, created by God and in his image. Each individual person in a corporate person reflects more or less the CI of the whole, be it the corrupted or the redeemed expression of it. Definition of Corporate Identity (CI):
The Corporate Identity (CI) of a corporate person is a. the expression of God's character in that person, because of which it contains b. her destiny in God’s purposes, and c. her redemptive gift to her fellow nations; the fall has distorted and corrupted the corporate identity, but it can be redeemed.
or
The Corporate Identity (CI) of a nation is the creative and liberating truth of God over a nation.
A theological understanding of Corporate Identity can be found in chapter 3 of my book "The City Called; A Theology of the City and of her Pain and her Redemption."

God’s character:
The identity of the City of Amsterdam is according to the character of God mentioned over and over: “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalms 9:9).

Positive expression, historically and at present, in society:
The typical Amsterdammer is very open-minded, really proud of his city and assuming that new comers feel the same. He has an incredible amount of humor and is a storyteller. When an accident happens, just for hearing the remarks and responses it is worthwhile to join the crowd. When the police have to come into action the typical Amsterdammer will immediately take sides… with the “oppressed,” even against rationality and conscience.
Indeed, Amsterdam has a tradition of care for foreigners and openness to refugees and nonconformists. In the early 17th century the city-care-for-the-poor program included three categories; in the category of the most needy it was mainly the foreigners from many European countries that were supported. The French philosopher Descartes was considered a freethinker in France, and had to flee; he found a home and wrote his books in Amsterdam. The French Huguenots fled by the thousands to Amsterdam; one of the older city quarters still bears a name of that period of history. Through the centuries Amsterdam was a capital-Jewish city in Western Europe.

Negative expression: historically and at present, in society:
The reverse side has become apparent also. The open-mindedness has deteriorated unto ruthless permissiveness: every thing is OK; every thing must be tolerated. The same 17th century city council that had the mercy ministry had also a piracy fleet on the world’s seas, to make money for the city. The city fought four wars to secure commercial monopoly. The present exploitation in sex and drugs industry is ruthless indeed. The Lord Mayor of the city, at officially opening the 1998 Gay Games in Amsterdam, said: “Amsterdam is the Gay Gate to Europe,” in this way confirming the tradition of sexual permissiveness in the most public and official way! Also, through the liberal immigration laws, Amsterdam has become a place where international crime could settle. In general: Amsterdammers are the extreme opposite of legalistic; they tend to respond infuriated when corrected concerning their behavior.

Testimony.
At completion of the Amsterdam Orbital (1992), a ‘prayer drive’ was organized. The participants were given an audiotape, with the instruction: ‘Watch the small green kilometer-signs. For each block of four kilometers listen to the one minute instruction; take the rest of the time to pray accordingly’. Each block had a special feature. Block 12 of the Orbital was between Amsterdam-East and the Bijlmer, both with an internationally very mixed population. The instruction covered in short the above, including the CI as “City of Refuge” and invited to pray for the more than 110 nationalities in the city and the constant flow of foreigners:
“Pray for the redemption of God’s character in the city, according to Jer 49:6: ‘Yet afterwards, I will restore the fortunes of… Amsterdam and the Bijlmer.‘ “
At the de-briefing many enthusiastic testimonies were given about guidance in prayer. Obviously the prayer topic of block 12 had stirred much in the souls and spirits of the participants. Quite a few were glad to be directed to think positively about the city for the first time in their lives. One participant, an elder of the initiating church, confessed publicly and in tears, that he now saw it was prejudice why he had moved out of the city.
That was Sunday morning. Next Friday the papers said: “Largest international drug syndicate ever rolled up... in the Bijlmer”! Quite a few participants called in: “Isn’t this a confirmation of praying for the redemption of the CI of Amsterdam?”

Conclusion/application.
Amsterdam’s survival is not in permissiveness; it rather will be her end. Not ruthless economic measures but rather application of lavish, bountiful,abandoning hospitability would be her true survival. This is a fine line, a general attitude that should pervade the city council and the city administration and the entire city, rather than a one liner of the next council agenda.
The Body of Christ can clear the way by calling the corporate sins against the CI sins, and confess them as such. The Body of Christ is of course also God’s Major Partner in discipling Amsterdam, and as she shows to be a City of Refuge through a wide range of mercy ministries as a major challenge, she will play her part.

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