In modern spaces, human have the tendency to prefer acquired wisdom, and some people simply walk-in to have a glimpse of what is going on in the church.
On the contrary, there were people who also walk away from the church since it no longer serve their spiritual needs. The building seems empty to them; simply echoing the sound of people rather than the praising of God and uplifting each other.
They think, sometimes, they are no longer in the target group of a particular believer’s community as there is hardly the warmth of being included in the services.
However, it is a good thing that first-timers and the walk aways did, at certain point, walk-in again to visit the place of worship. Their longings and desire unbeknownst to human mind in its entirety. They sat there in the empty pews.
Normally, people did not come to church for a documentary or documentation of their faith.
It is, in a way, respectful to be tactful, appearing as a sharp relationship manager with adequate human intelligence in whatever we do. Sometimes we outshine the purpose of God by our purpose, since we wanted our way in the congregation, but not for long will we last. In that way, somehow we let many people wander away from the church, but also simply walk in again at certain points in time.
When the pop music set in, the party-like gospel music, we adore it. Yet a time comes when we grow past that stage. At that time, the church seems dull; the spiritual song we hummed as youngsters or a child fades in time. We started searching for the anointed songs, percolating our mind and soul.
Personally, I welcome any person who simply walks in to fill the empty pew. They came not for services and not because they have suddenly become religious. They simply walk in, sit on the hard wooden pews, and remain there for a while. Even if they are from any other religious background, I welcome them. The spirit will take over next. Not every church-goer is spiritually filled, nor are they dried up.
When asked what they are doing there, the answer is usually something like, “I just came here to think.” I have heard that explanation more than once, and it never seems to tell the whole story.
Humanity had grown up. Scientific discovery and technological achievement had transformed society so thoroughly that the old, simple explanations about God no longer seemed adequate to many people. The world had become more complicated, and God increasingly felt like a story from childhood.
A simple walk-in:
A strange thing keeps happening in the modern world. People who no longer believe in God still walk into churches. In a way, the church did not deliver what they had expected at certain times.
Every generation believes they know more than previous generations could have imagined. In modern spaces, we carry astonishing technologies in our pockets and possess knowledge that would have seemed miraculous only a century ago.
We can communicate with people on the other side of the world in seconds and create machines that drive themselves. Yet the old questions remain stubbornly intact. The reasons for our being here, all the fuss surrounding us. Above all, how should we live knowing that suffering and death are unavoidable?
The modern person lives with a peculiar tension. God often feels intellectually difficult to recover, and yet a life without any deeper meaning proves equally difficult to inhabit.
Most often, there is something heavy which does not have anywhere else to settle down. The mood becomes so dark that a person often considers going to sea simply to keep from staring at coffins. It is what we call a November of the soul.
Most people know this feeling, even if they would never describe it in those terms. It is the sinking realization that life does not feel as substantial as we once imagined. For some, the actors are in the play all around us.
We often suspect that all our striving may amount to less than we hoped. It is the queasiness that settles over us when the distractions fall silent, and we are left alone with ourselves.
Meaningless stage:
At least once in our stages of life, we come across this feeling of life being meaningless. When we express it ourselves, it becomes depressing to the one who hears it.
However, the writer of Ecclesiastes knew this mood well. He opens his reflections on life with a grim conclusion: “Meaningless! Meaningless! … Everything is meaningless” Eccl. 1:2
It is a startling way to look at life.
In Hebrew, it is more severe; it is the meaninglessness of meaninglessness – the most meaningless that meaninglessness can ever be. The writer then makes another observation that thoughtful people eventually discover for themselves.
Wow! How meaningless it could have been without God!
It reflects well on our times that the realization sits at the heart of our modern condition.
“The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief.” Knowledge has not solved the human problem. In many respects, it has simply made us more aware of it. Ye thet reacher’s conclusion says it all – God keeps his words, every deed would be brought to judgment; including every hidden thing, whether good or evil. Eccl.12 9-14
A walk with God:
The world had become more complicated, and God increasingly felt like a story from childhood. God no longer seemed adequate to many people. Yet only those who wait on the Lord will live a fruitful life. Fruitfulness is not found in the decorative interests of the human mind.
The modern person lives with a peculiar tension. God often feels intellectually difficult to recover, and yet a life without any deeper meaning proves equally difficult to inhabit. Rather than walking with God, we seek answers in many ways.
People speak of manifesting, practice meditation, and consult artificial intelligence rather than Spiritual wisdom. Yet it turns out that a world without God is rarely a world without transcendence. Thus, man desperately desires the living God; salvation through Christ is still the answer to this techno-driven world. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Heb.13:8-9
Walk-in to church:
Human beings have not stopped looking for a higher meaning. They have simply begun looking for it almost everywhere people still wander, even in some abandoned churches. It is doubtful they are there because of the architecture or out of historical curiosity. They must be searching for a place where these questions can still be asked without embarrassment. Also, in the hope that God’s care is non-condemning in nature.
There is a growing weariness about the culture. Many people feel emotionally depleted. They worked hard, pursued achievement, and followed the script they inherited — only to discover that accomplishment and progress do not necessarily produce a meaningful and abundant life. John 10:10 As for the church, it can facilitate, deploy, and engage, visibly and invisibly, its stewards on service days. Further, it must also pay heed to someone who walks in during the days, as most metropolitan churches might have an attached office, or appoint someone capable among its members.
Come settle in the pew; just walk in when you don’t feel like going anywhere. The lovingkindness of God will meet you there, as you settle down your mind and soul in the sanctuary of the Lord God. A simple walk into church, even when you are not spiritually driven, can transform your life for good!