There’s a huge chasm between what people profess and what they practice, especially when things get messy, visible, bloody, personal or risky.
It shows up in every community, religious or not but it feels sharper when the ones who’s  language is about love, faith, trusting God and care…. It’s more like their mantra rather than intestinal fortitude…
I was in the Army during war time (gulf war) and had we only “talked ” rather than DO/DID, freedoms would have been aborted and died with us……..

What people say compared to what they actually do when faced with something raw and uncomfortable is much different, and it’s disgusting!
It’s much easier to TALK about love, prayer, and “giving it to God” than it is to sit with someone who’s hurting, or to step in when it’s messy, visible, and inconvenient. That disconnect can is total hypocrisy, lunacy, and other words I dare not write..

People avoid what overwhelms them, but by God they’ll leave at 0530 to line up at their favorite coffee spot, or they’ll memorize sports stars stats, or quote scripture like a twin to Jesus…..yet seeing real pain, abuse, self harm, neglect, or other such things forces them to confront things they don’t feel equipped to handle….. How can you be real or call yourself qualified for life when nothing means more than something???

Some lean on spiritual language as a shield.. or a polite diversion “Trust God”, “give it to God” or other such things…… Yeah it can be sincere, but it can also become a way to avoid responsibility, or “pass the buck”…. as the old saying goes…..
I don’t agree with smirks of indifference or willful blindness…. Especially when you know someone personally…

I actually care, and want people’s words, and faith, beliefs in community, and their truth to mean something in action, not just in talk….
That’s not a flaw; that’s integrity.
When families don’t talk, when kids don’t feel safe telling the truth, when people hide what’s really going on, it creates exactly the kind of silent suffering I’m talking about…

I do understand that breaking that pattern takes courage, and not everyone has it…. but they won’t miss the lottery ticket, budweiser, tim hortons, hockey or the latest gossip….
I can’t make other people live up to what they preach, but I can decide what I do with what I believe.
I can check on someone, I can listen without judgment, help someone to get real help and more… This is the kind of “community” people talk about but often don’t practice……
GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY,,, rather than looking like you’re fresh out of the salon or barber shop…
Many of people in the Bible questioned,  challenged, and pursued, they didn’t just quietly accept things that were placed in front of them, or opt for a forward lateral…. Be real, Be a man, Be a woman,,,, be Human……