(a 3 minute read) Logan and Adam’s stomachs were growling as they were so very hungry. They approached a strip mall and saw the list of all possible restaurants. There were more than 7 choices to pick from. Adam looked at Logan with anticipation and asked, “Where do you want to eat?” Logan did not say a word but had that look. Adam has been with Logan for four years and by now can read that look. Adam said, “I know I know; just pull into the first one in the bunch.” You could hear the laughter from that car half way down the parking lot.

Past the appetizers, and past the hunger pains, Logan said, “It always amazes me how restaurants always congregate together.” Adam was about to pitch in, when he heard Logan continue, “I guess I would not eat the same food type day after day. So chances are I’d eat here today then maybe have Chinese tomorrow and Mexican the day after. But we all gotta eat. So it makes sense that they congregate.” Adam jumped in, “Only a very small percentage of people would want to eat the same food type on and on without mixing it up.”

“Do you think that’s why people church hop so much?” were the words that came out of Adam’s mouth, and the look on his face was like ‘did I just say that?’ Logan chuckled with a look of amazement. Adam went on to say; “It is an interesting question though as churches do tend to congregate, and they are typically of a different creed, almost never two of the same doctrine in the same ‘strip’ sort of speak.

Logan puzzled retorted, “But people do go to the same church and ‘eating the same food’ on and on, typically till they die!” Adam added, “Many though do hop, so much so that studies indicate that one church’s growth typically means another church’s decay, i.e. a single church may grow, but the collective church is not growing.”

Logan annoyed said, “That explains the high competition environment that is so palpable between individual churches. They try to be sly about it, but it is so tangible you can almost hold it in your hand and show it to someone.” Adam with sympathetic eyes said, “I feel your pain, but you know what they say; Different styles for different people. Some like it this way and some like it that way.” Logan almost yelled the following, but kept it under control, “You know how I feel about that. God is One, one flavor, one taste and one essence. To SAVOR our Lord requires work, instead we just want to satisfy our palate.”

Adam apologetically responded, “I am with you dear. The masses follow the leadership and the leadership ought to think of the collective church, not MY church, and find ways to cooperate, to work together. With so many churches in each small community, you’d think the impact of the collective church in any one community is what should be palpable and tangible instead of the competition between them.”

May our Lord and Creator guide me, you and you that someday His GLORY is indeed our individual and collective focus. Amen.