For the past week, I have been visiting family and friends in Greensboro, North Carolina. I have been amazed by the difference in the atmosphere between here and the East Bay area. I don't mean the temperature or the humidity, but the mindset of the people. In the past week, I have only seen two people wearing drawers hanging down to their knees and using one hand to hold their pants up. there have only been three sightings of men wearing hoodies with the hood pulled up over the head and trying to cover their features. I have only heard three vehicles driving by with a loud and obnoxious boom playing at an annoying level (And one of those was old school country). While standing in line at the stores, other customers strike up conversations with me and we become friends in the short time it takes to check out. Female clerks in stores call me "honey" or "darling" and the men clerks call me "sir". I am greeted at the door of stores by clerks who ask if they can help me and actually help me. If they can't find it, they get someone else to help. I have been waved at by people I do not know who were passing me while I was out walking. Most everyone I pass on the sidewalk will smile and speak some type of greeting. People here don't seem nearly as angry nor preoccupied as those in the East Bay. The pace of life is so much slower and there is no such thing as a quick conversations. Waitresses treat me like I am a long lost family member and strike up conversations about life. My six son plays outside by himself without me worrying about traffic or something else happening to him. Now, don't get me wrong. Greensboro is not a utopia because it has it share of government corruption, crime, violence and unsafe places. I kow, those of you who live in Greensboro will tell me that my view is a little simplistic and there are major issues here. I understand all of that, but this is my blog so just go with it for the moment, However, I feel like I am in Mayberry. I keep waiting to see Opie and Aunt Bea walking down the sidewalk. I am so much more relaxed and not just because I am on vacation. I feel a freedom to converse with people and don't feel as threatened or feel as much tension from people. The atmosphere is one which makes it easier to enjoy life and others.
(These are some of my high school classmates, family and friends after dinner)
As I was jogging this morning, three of the cars that passed me had drivers who waved at me. Now, I know these people don't know me, but they were just being friendly. That NEVER happens when I run in the East Bay. So I began to think about this question: Is it easier to be a Christian in a place that reinforces the values of the church or in a place that has rejected those values and is following pagan values? I think the biggest difference in Greensboro and the East Bay is this: Only about 4% of the East Bay population will go to any church at least once a month, but in Greensboro about 40% of the residents will attend church at least once. And even though I am math deficient, I know that this means ten times more people attend church in Greensboro. So this has affected the values and morals on a tangible, measurable level. I only ran for three miles, so I didn't have too much time to dwell on this question. But I was struck by the differences in my first home (Greensboro) and my home now (The East Bay). I was wondering what you would think about all of this.
However, that simply sets the stage for the question: Is it easier to be a Christian in a place that reinforces the values of the church or in a place that has rejected those values? The church in Greensboro seems to be more like the Galatians church: They wrestle with legalism and hypocrisy while the church in the East Bay is more like the Corinthian church: They wrestle with immorality and paganism spreading into the church and accepting the values around them which compromises God's standards. Obviously, this is a broad generalization, so please don't get caught up in that comparison. Stay focused on the question of the day. Ask yourself, which can you face with the most success: Hypocrisy/legalism or temptations to compromise. I am planning to answer this question for myself in next week's blog, but I would enjoy getting your feedback this week. So which would be easier for you?
This is a great question, but a really complex one.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think it's much harder to be a Christian in a place where Christianity is a part of the culture. One reason is because I believe Christ always has a heart for the poor, the outcast, the powerless, and the marginalized. It can be hard to find the other in places where Christianity is prevalent because they often don't find themselves welcome and so they go underground.
Often the same thing happens within people's lives as well. In places where every one looks and acts Christian, one's personal struggle with sin can also go underground and hidden because one, no one likes to not fit in and two, because revealing one's true personal struggles with sin is often not tread with kindness or understanding. And so people have to split themselves between their church selves and their real selves. And that's never healthy.
On the flip side, in a place where the church is less prevalent, the other and the marginalized is usually easier to see and so figuring out how to extend Christ's love to them is a bit easier.
I don't know if confessing personal sins gets any easier (I think that's always hard), but being the church in a less churched area has another benefit. The church is forced to wrestle with the question of how to be the Body of Christ in an ever-changing culture. I think it's no accident that the most interesting, effective ways of doing church come out of areas where Christianity is less a part of the culture.
Of course, I'm speaking in generalizations which come out of my own story and experience with church but it's a great question - one that needs to be explored. Thanks for asking!
Blessings.
Sounds like where we moved to(Lynden, WA) and Greensboro are very much alike.
ReplyDeleteIt is refreshing living somewhere where your faith and walk with the Lord is talked about in the open. Even in the schools and many of the community functions. It is wonderful.
To your question:
In a lot of ways, it is much easier to live in a place that reinforces the values of the church. Most people around you think like you do. It is easy to make friends and have something in common to talk about. Also, folks here are willing to give the shirt off there back in a second to help. Lot of hard working and proud people.
But, it is easy to content and blind. There seems to be a lack of evangelism in the local town. All efforts are far away, like the rest of the world needs help, but we are just fine here. There is a lot of talk, but little walk.
One thing I truly miss is the overwhelming excitement that a body of believers should have when someone is born again. Of course, there are many that do rejoice, but in general, you since more of a 'oh, that is nice' response.
The biggest/hardest issue living in a place like this is that it is hard to really know if someone is hurting and needs help. People tend to pretend they have it all together, not wanting to look like a sinner, because in a small town, people really do talk and know everybody.
Don't get me wrong, I love and enjoy living with fellow believers. You see God's hand here and the people are just different, in a good way.
Even with a large % of people going to church, there is still a very large % of people that are not, and even more that are not saved. It is hard to reach this people, since that tend to be bitter towards past efforts to reach them.