INDIVIDUALISM

We are not born into cultures of community.  We are born into cultures of individualism.  In the simplest terms, whenever we gather we do so most often as a group of individuals, each concerned about his own wants and needs, not most often as a community united around common characteristics.

Not so the early church.  They gave themselves to a distinct set of jointly held beliefs and practices -- 'devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer … all the believers were one in heart and mind.'

They didn't forsake community.  They harvested their unity around a set of core values and convictions that led toward a set of actions and behaviors … not clone-like, but Christ-like.

Yet we are continually assaulted with the apparent glory and riches of individualism.  It's what our entire country was built on, some say.  Posters abound with clever tag lines:

Individualism … "Only losers waste time listening to the input of others."

Individualism … "Every man is an end in himself, not a means to the end of others."

Individualism … "Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream."

Individualism … "The strongest man in the world is he who stands alone."

Is some truth hidden there?  Sure.  But is individualism all it's cracked up to be?  I'm not so sure.

'Isolating yourself and becoming and individual are great routes to travel if you want a more self-centered life.'

R. Frazee tells a story:  'It can never be said that Adele Gaboury's neighbors were less than responsible.  When her front lawn grew hip-high, they had a local boy mow it down.  When her pipes froze and burst, they had the water turned off.  When the mail spilled out her front door, they called the police.  The only thing they didn't do was check to see if she was alive.  She wasn't.  Police climbed her crumbling brick stoop, broke in the door of her little blue house and found what they believed to be the 73-year old woman's skeletal remains sunk in a five foot high pile of trash where she had lain, perhaps for as long as four years.  Her next door neighbor, who had lived twenty feet from Ms. Gaboury's home, said: "She was alone and needed someone to talk to, but I was working two jobs and I was sick of her coming over at all hours.  Eventually I stopped answering the door."'

Isolating yourself and becoming an individual are great routes to travel if you want a more self-centered life.  Our culture continues to run the road toward disconnection, and yet we each have a deep, driving need for community.

Don't isolate yourself.  You need people.
Don't exalt individualism.  You aren't that great.

Get in community and do life with somebody.

And be blessed.