Monday, February 28, 2005

The Madness of Crowds

Crowds are trendy nowadays.
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/wisdomofcrowds/

I am skeptical. As I sit at World Cup Cafe on Morris Street, I observe to my left a rowdy group of 12 Christian young adults from a vibrant Fan-area church. They have colonized the entire East side of the cafe to the point that the Men's bathroom is blocked off. Their presence distracts the VCU kids trying to study, and their mass arrival and demand for every sort of fancy beverage and dessert creates a tremendous workload for the barista, which makes her grumpy. Is this a loving witness? It appears that this excursion into public space is also an intrusion, an invasion.

They are sincere in their relationships with each other, and I love them and respect them for it, but they represent a tremendous annoyance to everyone else in the cafe. Sometimes, the only contact some people have with Christians is through being lectured and talked-down-to, and through rude but oblivious groups such as this one. Where is the model of Christian fellowship in the world that gives people exposure to loving Christians without having us be the bull in a china shop?
http://www.litrix.com/madraven/madne001.htm