St.Arbucks Coffeeshop Cartoonist.  KDS (Koinonia Deprivation Syndrome) is ubiquitous.  Sadly, it can be most evident in families (nuclear and extended) at seasonal times.  The classic Lennon-McCartney tune, 'Eleanor Rigby' ("...Ah, look at all the lonely people...") is also most evident on the faces of holiday church attendees who crowd into 'sanctuaries' under the illusion that they're going to find sincere love (Romans 12:9), empathy, rapport, and honest fellowship--only to be 'bombasted' with artificially-crafted, giant-screened, religious propaganda onstage.  (As always, '...there is no room in the Inn'.)

Dark Roast: TGI-Finished..!  If you find yourself relieved (for at least another glorious year) that you don't have to bear with narcissistic, (personality-disordered) in-laws listening to them boast about all the awards they've received (sadly, from toadies and bootlickers) for pharisaically giving their bleeding-heart alms in public, and doing their rhetorical ('sackcloth-n-ashes') prayers on street corners--you've saying some thank-god-it's-overs on your televangelist rosary..!

The Whole Fam Damily. If your 'fambly' get-togethers leave you with the self-loathing sycophancy and insincere flattery evokes in you, remember the comfort and liberation of the Holy Spirit is calling you to, 'Come out from among them,' and be spiritually liberated. (I tell folks in counseling, "Quit pretending you enjoy faux fellowship with the character-flawed and their fawning apple-polishers--or you'll end up turning your frustration and anger against yourself.")

The Left Foot of Fellowship.  I told a seminar audience in Carson City, Nevada years ago,"Why be afflicted with narcissistically-disordered 'outlaws' at seasonal gatherings or even 'narcissistic-contract' churches where 'your role' is to sheeple-clap and toss lotsa sheeple-money in the offering plate--and bear with some grinning (humor, insight, wisdom and judgment-impaired) idiot up on stage making a fool of himself?" (I was never invited back--heh-heh...and thank God.)

Nourishing vs. Toxic.  I know, of course, most folks (ruled by social and 'belonging-need' anxiousness) won't listen to therapeutic advice. Sadly, they keep forgetting, 'There is no fellowship between Light and Darkness,' between nourishing and toxic, between the charming sociopath and the sincere lover. Thus, 'nice folk' in America's Culture of Narcissism often live lives of quiet desperation....'in the midst of a wicked and perverse (2 Timothy 3) generation.'

The St.Arbucks Coffeeshop Cartoonist looks for nice folks with whom to enjoy coffee shop fellowship--sincere empathy, good rapport, and plenty of good satirical laughs. (Please, no toadies, pharisees, politicians...or sociopaths...heh-heh.)

The Culture of Narcissism

From Pretend Family to Pretend Church

Copyright © 2011-2012 by Philip.C. Brewer

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