Where Has the Love Gone?

I'm finally feeling somewhat better, so I'm going to start writing on some weightier matters -- just some things that keep going around in this little head of mine.

Another title for today could be "Where Are the True Christians?" That is not intended to imply that I think everyone I meet is going to Hell. Rather, I am wondering where I can find people who are Christ-like, which is the definition of the word Christian.

Supposedly, they're at the churches. I've attended church (Independent, Fundamental Baptist) all my life, and I can attest that assumption is not always true. People will come up, smile politely and ask, "How are you?" Most of the time, though, they really don't want to know. Case in point:

A while back, I was out of church for a few weeks due to illness. I listened to the services on the radio and heard my name mentioned for prayer several times. It could, therefore, be assumed that the church congregation, particularly the leaders, knew of my illenss. The first or second Sunday I was back at church, a man who is both a deacon and a Sunday school teacher came up to me, smiled politely, and asked, "How are you doing?" When I responded that I wasn't doing so well, you would have thought I had just shot his dog. A look of horror replaced his smile, and I was made to feel that I had just committed a faux pas. (Excuse me for thinking he really wanted to know!) Since then, I have always responded to that question with, "I'm fine"; and I've often noticed the other person actually start to walk away before the answer was even out of my mouth.

According to I Corinthians 13:13, "Now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." It seems like the love is draining away from Christians. How then can we ever expect to win the lost? Romans 2:4 says that it is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. How are the lost to see God's goodness but through His people? If we're not even being loving toward our own, how can we expect to show the love of God to a lost and dying world?