What Will Remain The Same Going Forward?

How long does it take for something to go from a temporary measure to being the norm? When I started this article, I was thinking about the things we are doing to be compliant with the restrictions due to the pandemic but now I am thinking how much things have changed over the past fifty years. Consider this, we almost subconsciously leave six feet between ourselves not, we second guess greeting one another and tend to look around for the wash station when entering a public facility. It has only taken three months to shift people’s habits to a point that we would have considered ludicrous in January. If I would have told you that walking into a bank with a mask on would be normal a year ago, you would have sent me to the doctor for an examination. This is now the norm though. For something to take on this quickly, it either has to be, in my opinion, a huge fad or government mandated. They say it takes, on average, 66 days for a new habit to become automatic. Been well over a hundred now.

Now think about our society sixty years ago. Now, before people start in on me about all the things that are so much better now because of new attitudes or technologies, this is not the crux of this discussion but rather it is a recognition of how much our society has shifted in less than a century. In the sixties, we called our elders mister, missus or Ma’am. There was a lot less backtalk then and I would never, in a million years, even think to question someone older. We trusted people, left our doors unlocked, watched out for each other and were very relational. I can remember backyard bar-b-ques, neighbours coming by for lemonade on warm evenings and we knew everyone who lived on the block. Kids played with each other and everyone of us had either a scraped knee or elbow at some point in time during the week. When we said that we were bored and had nothing to do, we either got kicked outside to find something to do or were assigned chores. Our neighbourhoods were our family and we all watched out for each other.

Then there was our faith. Nothing was open on Sunday and when the church doors were open, people were there. Our faith was a priority and we held to the commandments God put before us; Love God with unlimited passion and love your neighbour as yourself. The foundation of the faith was pour out your love to those around you, live in full relationship for God and for your neighbour and watch out for each other. When we watch out for each other, we also have to remember that others are watching out for us. This is the key to a solid relationship. The stronger the ties, the closer the relationships and the more we build tight communities. Over the past decades, however, the norm has shifted from strong relationships, tight communities and trust to one of self-fulfillment, watching out for number one, six-foot privacy fences, video games and social media where you can follow or unfollow at the click of a button. Missing in the picture of strong community, in my opinion, is the foundation of love for God and for each other. Would there be room for anger and violence in our nations if we looked to scripture for our direction? Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, did not come to declare war but rather to exemplify peace. So what has happened? Over time people have found other things to focus on rather than church, that is coming together to worship our Father in Heaven. Many say they don’t need to go to church to be a Christian but I suggest that when we come together on a Sunday, we are building community and giving thanks to our Father in Heaven for being the head of our faith family.

So, would you like to experience the change? Find a faith gathering in your area, share in a time of worship with friends you may or may not yet know (yes, it may seem awkward at first but give it a chance), grab a daily devotional and start going through it, gather with others, build relationships and seek God through prayer and meditation. It takes, on average, 66 days for a habit to become automatic but I would suggest it will take a whole lot less time for you to fall in love with our amazing Lord.

We invite you to join us online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST. Click on either link below to join us live:
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See you all Sunday, online.
Blessings

Pastor Todd
www.mainavefellowship.blogspot.ca