Sometimes when I write about community I do so with instinct, i.e. 'I think this is the way it is' but haven't done the hard work of researching it for facts which prove my case. That was probably the case when I wrote 'What about community?' In that piece I said, "Perhaps more importantly, why is there a sense that community is often missing from modern life?"
It was something I 'felt' to be true but hadn't done the research. Fortunately for me the BBC has come to my rescue with this article headlined 'Life in UK has become lonelier'
It begins by saying 'community life has substantially weakened over the past 30 years' and the reasons are: "Increased wealth and improved access to transport has made it easier for people to move for work, for retirement, for schools, for a new life. The decline in marriage, increasing divorce, immigration and a growing student population are also said to be contributory factors."
So I wasn't too far off the mark. It's a legitimate question to ask over the past 30 years as our society has fragmented where has the church been? So, comments please on what your church (if you go to one) or community group is doing to combat loneliness and isolation. What is being done?
Monday, December 01, 2008
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4 comments:
I saw that articule too. Very depressing.
I was bloggin' around and saw your blog. It's a rare find for me. I love your posts.
I see that people have become lonely because of too much convenience. I work at home and have little of outside social life. That's a bit lonesome.
Park the car, close the door, TV on - our own little world.
Home cinema - don't go out to cinema
Home drinking - don't go out to pub
Home cooking - don't go out to restaurant
Home shopping - don't go out to shops
Home learning - don't go out to college
Obviously those things are not bad in themselves, but it is interesting, that more and more we purchase things to allow us to not have to "go" somewhere which means we also do not have to interact with other people anymore.
My church runs a cafe on Monday mornings, hoping to offer it more often, which is deliberately attractive for lonely people and those who find it hard to get out. We offer personal prayer as part of this, and we have seen several lonely people being helped into community, and brought closer to God. I hope we can start to do more.
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