Living in a Culture in need of Community

Recently, I read an article in Time magazine about a change from living in suburban areas to living in more urban areas.  Why is this?  Well, the article went on to explain that suburban areas lack community.  Our generation seeks to be among other people.  Among other people at coffee shops, restaurants, malls, and etc.  Suburban areas do not have a lively atmosphere as do various cities.  I have been asking myself lately what happened? 

Many people say that we are living in a new age.  This is an age of equality, society, and relativity.  In other words, we have now moved from an age of individualism, reason, and capitalism to an age of postmodernism.  People are seeking to live a life together, with a sense of equality as well as in community.  Our generation is beginning a process of growing together in a new fashion that has unfortunately been ignored.

This is a crucial misunderstanding when it comes to understanding postmodernity.  Its not that postmoderns are not easy to understand.  Its that people are not taking the time to understand them (and maybe even understand themselves).  Thinking critically about this means taking an initiative to learn, to grow, and be in relationship.  We have taken something away from modernity that should have been left alone, and that is individualism.

Instead of seeking out the needs of others, modernity sought the needs of the self.  The self was the sole importance in the modern age movement.  It came to understanding this key principle in life that everyone was supposed to reach.  Modernity was about finding that one thing that everyone was to believe in, and if you found it, then you were on your way to being who your made to be.  Unfortunately, that one single most important thing is not what they found.

I named my blog Coffee Shop Theology because our postmodern world seeks community.  I think that modernism missed the mark through there individualistic mindset.  Instead of worry about the needs of the self, we should look to others.  A community means living together for a goal.  As a pastor, I believe the church needs to put their goal, purpose, and life in the hands of Christ.  Christ is the head of the church that leads the way for the church to go forward (Eph. 5:25-32; Col. 3:14-16).

Not only must the church find it's place in Christ, but the church must find its place in mission.  Service was the central characteristic of Jesus' ministry.  He did not focus on his own needs, but focused on the needs of others.  Jesus did not seclude himself from the world waiting for the day when God would make all things new.  Christ took initiative in coming to earth to redeem the world.  The church should not sit by praying for Christ to return, but to be present with us as we (the church) go out and serve others.