It wasn't long into our conversation that I discovered the reason for her friendliness. No, she doesn't have a mental illness. It's because she isn't from around here! She is from Nova Scotia. She and her husband had to move to Edmonton three years ago because her husband is in the military.
The lady began to pour out her heart to me and tell me of her struggles in living here because of the unfriendliness of the people. She said that she cried steadily for the first two months. As we continued to talk, we excitedly realized that we have a lot in common: we are approximately the same age, we both moved here three years ago, and our husbands are gone most of the time — her husband was in Afghanistan for seven months the first year she lived here.
I wish I could have invited her to church, but, unfortunately, I've found that the people in most of the churches here are no different. A newcomer will go completely ignored even after eight months of attendance, and if you mistakenly make known to leaders of the church your eager desire to become involved in any kind of ministry in the church, their reaction is instantaneously negative. There is a silent rule in many of the churches that the leaders must be the ones to ask for help, and any reverse offers are treated as disrespectful or with skepticism.
The spirit of self has permeated into so many of our city churches that they have become unwelcoming and unaccepting of other people's gifts. By doing so, they discourage newcomers from doing acts of love and good works for God in the Church. This is very disturbing because Christ's return is drawing near and we desperately need all the workers in the harvest field.
"Let us think of ways
to motivate one another
to acts of love
and good works.
and let us not neglect
our meeting together,
as some people do,
but encourage one another,
especially now that the day
of His return is drawing near."
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)
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