I read an article a few months ago in USA Today about 75,000 people living in one square mile. (usatoday.com)

It naturally caught my attention as I constantly think about the huge task of reaching our world with the Gospel of Jesus. We have large cities in America, but not a single American city is listed in the top 50 most densely populated cities of the world.

They say, among the variety of factors that help explain the high density of these cities, some are: more births than deaths, people moving to cities for jobs or forced off rural land by natural disasters, and skyrocketing land prices.

According to the United Nations, as of 2016, about 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Fifty cities were listed showing their population and how many people live there per square mile. Here is an example of just a few:

50. Tokyo/Yokohama, Japan

• Population density:12,296 per square mile
• Population:33,200,000
• Square miles:2,700 miles

43. London, UK

• Population density:13,210 per square mile
• Population:8,278,000
• Square miles:627 miles

42. Madrid, Spain

• Population density:13,430 per square mile
• Population:4,900,000
• Square miles:365 miles

37. Bangkok, Thailand

• Population density:16,668 per square mile
• Population:6,500,000
• Square miles:390 miles

28. Santiago, Chile

• Population density:21,683 per square mile
• Population:5,425,000
• Square miles:250 miles

24. Hyderabad, India

• Population density:23,545 per square mile
• Population:5,300,000
• Square miles:225 miles

20. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• Population density:24,500 per square mile
• Population:4,900,000
• Square miles:200 miles

14. Kinshasa, DRC

• Population density:27,612 per square mile
• Population:5,000,000
• Square miles:181 miles

10. Shanghai, China

• Population density:34,718 per square mile
• Population:10,000,000
• Square miles:288 miles

4. Lagos, Nigeria

• Population density:47,027 per square mile
• Population:13,400,000
• Square miles:285 miles

3. Karachi, Pakistan

• Population density:49,000 per square mile
• Population:9,800,000
• Square miles:200 miles

1. Mumbai, India

• Population density:76,790 per square mile
• Population:14,350,000
• Square miles:187 miles

How does this information make you feel? Is it overwhelming to you like it is to me? How in the world can we reach all these people? You know what? We still have the Great Commission given by Jesus Himself with all the power necessary to reach our world. It just requires us to give up our lives to serve Him, promote Him and His work, and do all we can to help people hear about Jesus.

Jesus explained it this way in Luke 24:46-47, “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Jesus didn’t die only to forgive us of our sins, but to give us a message of salvation and forgiveness for all nations. We need to be reminded that “God so loved the world” which applies to all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations. That includes the masses of people that live in each square mile of these megacities across our globe.

Our passion as churches and believers should be that those who have not heard the gospel would have the opportunity to hear, understand, and respond in faith so God might be glorified in their salvation. Who will go from your church to these cities and shine the Light of Jesus Christ?

-by Jon Konnerup, Mission Director