In our own country, westward expansion and life on the frontier were giving expression to a whole new spirit of independence, and a whole new culture. It was a formative time. See the waking of the nations to a wider unity. But then couldn't we say the same. As the economy becomes more global than national, as transportation becomes more expedient, and as communications technology shrinks the world, we rub shoulders with radically different customs and beliefs.
People have more choices today than ever before.
But that no longer is the case. Incredibly diverse, we are no longer a melting pot but a salad bowl of religions, nationalities, values and motivations. Denominational boundaries and loyalties blur as ideological diversification means that congregations often have more in common with certain churches of other denominations than some within their own. Experiences of genuine community seem harder and harder to find. Still deeper, there is growling a spiritual appetite of proportions we haven't yet explored.