I recently read an excellent article by Carl Trueman that spoke to an issue that I believe is not getting addressed enough. I thought I would share the highlights and encourage you to read the whole piece. The article is titled THE DEATH OF CHURCH AND PUB in which he captures the essence of what I mean by the silent epidemic. He writes about returning to the English village that he grew up in where nothing much changes over time. Yet this time he noticed that the parish church is up for sale. He writes “…the parish church has closed and is now for sale, with planning permission for it to be turned into a residence. Closure of churches is nothing new. Over twenty years ago in Aberdeen, I noticed that a number of places of worship I remembered from my postgraduate days had turned into nightclubs.” He goes on to speak of the significance of the loss of churches and religion in general. “it was also a deep source of identity and community. It motivated people to act in ways that supported each other, that manifested concern for the future, that gave them a hierarchy of goods that framed communal action. It spoke of belonging, and it gave corporate life a context and a significance.”
Then Carl speaks of the closing of pubs. “There is a parallel in the fate of the English village pub. Once central to community life—the English pub is not the equivalent of the American bar—it is now plausibly claimed that fifty public houses are closing every month.” And he laments “…the death of the local pub, like the death of the parish church, contributes to the death of the local community. The pub was the place where friendship was fostered over a shared drink and the shared cost of an evening conversation. No man was less an island than when engaging in the English tradition of “buying a round.” And the sad fact is that pubs and churches are not being replaced by something that fulfills the same function of shaping community.”
The silent epidemic that I am referring to is loneliness and isolation. It is something many of us really struggle with and we know that the church uniquely can provide the solution. Carl suggests that loneliness and isolation can only be solved by real community. He challenges the church to take action and shows where there is real opportunity for the church to meet some of humanity’s deepest needs. The good news of the gospel will be best received where it is ministering to the communal needs of belonging. I commend to you Carl Trueman’s article on the First Things website.
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