Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Religious Isolation

The following stats are from Bowling Alone
Trends over the last 25 years........

Attending Club Meetings 58% drop

Family dinners 43% drop

Having friends over 35% drop

I guess pride and selfishness are the 2 biggies that hinder us from having deep relationship with others. Who wants to make themselves vulnerable enough to cultivate true fellowship? After all it takes effort,time,selflessness to build friendships.

Religious groups are a sad example of how we can be in a large group and yet be totally isolated. I attend a large church. Unfortunately I would say most in my church do not have deep loving fellowship with others.

Sometimes when we try to develop these kinds of relationship we are met with awkward resistance. Religious pride? We....especially Apostolic Pentecostals... are worried about divulging the fact that we are indeed human. We fail. We sin. Its easier to just keep it surface please and thank you. Seriously ....when was the last time we truly *confessed our faults* to one another? Too often we cheat ourselves out of healing. But this confession of faults....of being human....is what connects us all. It is the human condition as descendants of Adam.

Jesus Christ does not want us to lead autonomous lives. He would have us invest in others. I hate religious pride. Christ came to liberate us unfortunately religion often isolates and condemns us.

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