In February 2020, the Guardian newspaper published an article which suggested that there is a decline in our sense of belonging to a community. The writer based his / her findings on statistics produced by the Office for National Statistics. People are more likely to engage with social media and less likely to become involved with their neighbours. Here are some headlines from the comparison between 2011-12 and 2017-18.
People less likely to provide help to sick, elderly or disabled.
Decline in membership of political, voluntary, professional or recreational organisations.
Parents less likely to receive help from adult children who did not live with them.
Also parents less likely to give help to adult children who did not live with them.
Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future, an independent think tank, made this observation:
"These new findings underline something that many people have felt for some time - that we have become less connected with our fellow-citizens. Our society is more divided than any of us would like." He also suggested that “Most people would like to feel more connected with their neighbours and people in their community. But rebuilding a more connected society will take action at all levels, from the government and institutions to communities and individuals too. There is a public appetite for us all to play our part in ensuring we turn this around.”
Our society is facing some serious issues.
In 2021 there were 1,330 deaths due to drug misuse in Scotland compared with 244 in the year 1996. The highest incidence of drug deaths was in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
In 2021-22, the police in Scotland recorded 64,807 incidents of domestic abuse, a decrease of 1% compared to the previous year. There were 118 incidents of domestic abuse per 10,000 of the population. The highest incidence were is Dundee City (172), Glasgow City (147) and West Dunbartonshire (161). Not surprisingly, four in five incidents of domestic abuse had a female victim and a male suspected perpetrator.
In 2021, a woman living in the north-east of England was 1.7 times more likely to die early as a result of suicide, addiction or domestic murder than women living in England and Wales as a whole.
Just under a quarter of all suicides in Scotland are male and almost half (46%) were aged 35-54. Death by suicide is approximately three times more likely among those living in the most socio-economically deprived areas than among those living in the least deprived areas.
Loneliness is a very real issue in our postmodern world with all its social media and technology. There are probably people living each day without visitors or anyone to show an interest.
Our church in Falkirk is only less than a mile away from an area of multiple deprivation so these issues are very real for us. What about your church? Are there problems in the local community adjacent to your church? I am suggesting that many of Scotland's social problems are the result of societal breakdown and the church should provide a model of a community which displays compassion, care and Christian love for everyone. This sounds easy but it is really challenging.
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