Love each other - How Individualism has sneaked in our churches

In recent years, something strong has come to me while rubbing shoulders with brothers and sisters in churches.

I understood that we lived less and less the "each other" and the "mutually" quoted many times in the Gospel of John in particular, by the Lord Jesus Himself, but included in all Epistles of Paul, John, James, and Peter.

If this expression comes back so much, throughout these biblical writings, it is because there might be a major problem in the churches in the future.

This problem is now a reality. It is one of the poisoned fruits of this modern world, filled with advanced technologies that isolate people "from each other." It is a very award-winning strategy of God's enemy – the devil aka the “Separator.”

credits (c) journal.christandcascadia.com

The disadvantage is that this "principle" has meddled in with the churches.

There are of course laudable attempts to "gather" brothers and sisters, especially for a meal, a celebration, or on the occasion of intercession to a person in need.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Jn 15:12

But even in these attempts, I still feel this problem. As long as the sharing remains at a reasonable distance from our private life – our “self,” it will be fine; we will even put some enthusiasm!

If ever the limits of "sharing" go too far and are dangerously close to our little life, then it is not the same anymore.

credits (c) paroissefachesthumesnil.over-blog.com

This means that what we call "sharing" is only the expression of our selfishness. These shares or intercessions are all well planned, limited, and calculated. Insomuch as those who do not bother us too much do not require much from us.

I was saddened every time I heard a brother or sister tell me that for the Lord's Supper it is "every man for himself before God." I even heard people saying that when a church is sinking into heresy and sin, you must save our skin and run away and so on.

This is what the selfishness of hearts produces eventually, individualism.
It is now "every man for him" in very spiritual and fraternal forms almost everywhere. We don’t live "THE ONE OTHERS" anymore.

MARANATHA M.