My son Joshua works at Starbucks in Seattle. My son-in-law John was a Starbucks barista too. Is there anybody reading this that doesn’t know somebody who works at Starbucks? Seems we are all affected (or infected) by Starbucks (for some of you it may be Peets or some other local coffee restaurant).
According to author Bryant Simon, Starbucks’ impact is not good, claiming in his book “Everything but the Coffee: Learning about America from Starbucks,” our lives have been shaped unconstructively. He refers in particular to what-he-calls “conversation-killing Wi-Fi” which has diminished meaningful conversation and spontaneous discussion—a sense of community is missing. Instead, he observes, the couches, plush chairs and tables are used for sterile business meetings or solo laptop users.
Now whether you agree with his assessment or not, you have to admit it has merit. As a student of psychology and sociology, I have my own perceptions of what-I-call the “cubicalization” of America—meaning, we all live and work in spaces, (whether at home or work you could call them “cubicles”) that afford a sense of privacy while however unintentionally fostering a culture of separation and isolation. People are lonely behind their walls.
As Christians we should be wary of this same spirit of separation. It is so easy to attend a large church and never really connect with anyone. In light of this, reflect on these words from Hebrews 10: 24-25:
Think of ways to encourage one another to...love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.
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