Today is Saturday, April 28, 2018. Hi, my name is Adam Burton, and you are listening to The Daily Diva, a short devotional designed to help you apply God's Word to your life. The content comes from the Gospel Project. Take a few moments and read Romans 12 verses 9 through 18, 1 Corinthians 1 verse 9 and Philippians chapter 1 verses 3 through 7.
Almost 20 years ago, political scientist Robert Putnam published a book titled Bowling Alone. It was apparently about the collapse of what he saw as the American community. Putnam's point was that Americans were becoming more individualistic. He cited plenty of sociological data and demographic studies, but the title was drawn from the consideration of one of America's great community activities, the bowling league.
Men and women used to gather at their local lanes to experience friendship, teamwork, and the kind of social interaction integral to community happiness. However, Putnam noted that more and more people were bowling alone. While Putnam may have exaggerated the problem about Americans' personal isolation a bit, cultural loneliness is a real thing. Today, the coffee shop, rather than the bowling alley, is the pick place most people gather.
While it is not uncommon to see groups hanging out in local coffee shops, most of the customers are having coffee alone, often kept company only by earbuds, books, computers, or cell phones. The value of community may be making a compact among millennials, but in many parts of our country, neighborhoods are filled with people who are close in proximity, but not in relationship. Think about this. How have you seen or experienced this drift toward being isolated in our culture today?
If you are in need of prayer, please get in touch with me. I would love to pray for you. You can connect with me on social media or shoot me an email at adambertton.net. Oh, thank you.
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