From Pa
March 10, 2024
SOCIETY VS. INDIVIDUALISM
A few of the classes I took to obtain my college degree were sociology classes. Sociology is the study of human society in terms of its development, structure, and how it functions. I tend to think of it as studying the influence of a group on the behavior of individuals within that group. In one of the classes, we had to come up with a project studying a certain population or group and develop an instrument to measure something within a particular group. Since I was serving two churches as a student pastor I decided to see if I could learn about how receptive congregations were to having a female pastor. I developed a questionnaire, asking questions to address my theory that at that time (early 90s) that lay people within the church were more open to having a female pastor than in the past. It helped that not far from where I lived there were two female clergy who served United Methodist congregations in the area. Both allowed me to administer and collect the surveys. Instead of dragging on with this story about my study let me say that it was very instrumental in helping me understand the attitudes of lay people toward female clergy at that time. I have shared all the above to say that in just remembering the study I did almost 30 years ago reminds me that everyone has their own worldview and opinions that support their worldview. As a friend of mine use to say, opinions are like belly buttons, everyone has one. The world we live in today seems dominated by individualism that leads to people gravitating toward their “clan” or “group” of others who are like them. Some sociology experts even go as far to theorize that this is at the heart of not only polarization we see in politics and other battles over social issues, and yes, even in the church. Some even believe that polarization is not the only outcome of this, but attribute much of the mass shootings and violence we’ve grown accustomed to this and not to gun ownership. Individuals hear so many different messages as they attempt to figure out who they are, and it is believed that by not being able to “belong” to any group they in desperation become lost and angry to the point of violence. It is believed that others turn to carrying out violence against themselves as the suicide rate is higher than it was many years ago. As we get closer to General Conference in late April and early May, waiting to see what, if any action, is taken to amend our Book of Discipline, I hope and pray that we as a church family will listen to one another in love. As we heard in Sunday School class not long ago, we are to be about both, truth and love. The interesting thing said about truth and love is that if you try to convey one without the other, you have neither or you’ve lost both. As Christians they go hand in hand. As we move toward an unknown future as the church family, I ask that we remember the words of Jesus to Simon Peter in John 21:15. You may remember it happened after Peter had pledged loyalty to Jesus, even saying he would give his life up for Jesus. Then in a complete one-eighty Peter denied Jesus to the point of being angry of even being associated with Jesus as Jesus was arrested and undergoing the mock trials. Peter and the disciples encounter Jesus on the beach in the passage and it is then that Jesus takes Peter aside for a little one on one. It was then we read v. 15 when Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” What does that mean for you and me? Think about it, truth and love.
Love, Pastor Lee
