There are clear reminders that our society is not as it should be. There instance of rage is addressed in another article, but there are other indicators that show a decline in our behaviour.
It used to be said that you could tell if someone was from the UK as they would be patiently waiting in a queue, whether it was for the bus or to be served in a shop. However, a new survey has revealed what has tested our resolve to wait (‘Patience? It is virtually running out,’ Metro, Wednesday 28 January 2015).
The results were that we were not prepared to wait for the following:
· Waiting for a web page to load – 10 seconds
· Waiting for a drink at the bar – 5 minutes
· Phoning a utility company – 8 minutes
· Delayed train – 13 minutes
· Waiting for a bus – 13 minutes
· Date running late – 17 minutes
· Friend says they’ll call you back – 18 minutes
· Waiting for food after first ordering – 24 minutes
· Hearing from someone after a date – 2 days
A spokesman for the parcel comparison site Interparcel (who commissioned the research) said: ‘It’s interesting to see the limits in the various scenarios, and how strong British patience is, in an age where things move fast.
The results provide a revealing insight.’ The research has also found that three out of the four respondents believe that the internet is responsible for people demanding things quicker.
The spokesman continued: ‘Even in our personal lives we expect quicker responses and regular contact. The internet means we expect more from businesses and services we use.’
Not only are we being less patient but our interpersonal skills are decreasing. In a study by Canadian and American researchers that was published in Current Biology, it was ascertained that stress was the reason why we find it hard to emphasise with someone we do not know (‘Stress is ‘barrier to feeling empathy for strangers’,’ www.bbc.co.uk, 16 January 2015). When students were treated with a stress-blocking drug, they became more empathetic and more compassionate to strangers.
Dr Jeffrey Mogul, the study author and neuroscientist from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, stated that his team’s findings suggest that the stress system in the brain can have a ‘veto’ on our empathy system.
As antidotes to these particular malaises in our society, we should have our thought processes transformed by the Holy Spirit (Romans 12: 2) so that we develop patience as part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22). In addition, we should be looking out for others as we are instructed in the Bible (Hebrews 13: 2).
We are called to be participants in the Christian counter-culture, where we are to show patience and to exhibit our love for strangers.
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