It's the time of year when all kinds of lists are released to the public. Today's fare includes a list of the safest cities in the United States. Hundreds of cities are ranked in order of the safest to the least safe, supposdly on the basis of FBI data. Murfreesboro ranked #166, coming in as the safest city in Tennessee.

No doubt, chambers of commerce all around the nation are scrambling to celebrate or explain away their town's place on the list! For my part, the list prompted me to think about a question: What makes a place a safe place? I offer the following initial suggestions.

We know and watch out for one another.

We notice and try to correct antisocial tendencies early.

We try to create a community in which people share in the good things of life.

We expect everyone to take responsibility for making the community safe.

We do not give up on the possiblity of building a safe community.

Come to think of it, the same traits are in play in healthy, safe church communities. Wouldn't it be interesting if someone could devise a way to rate and rank churches on the basis of being "safe places" in which to worship and serve God?