What People Really Want

Delivered by Rev. Dr. Randy Hammer, Nov. 17, 2019

2 Chronicles 6:1-2, 14-15, 18-21 GNT

Text: But can you, O God, really live on earth among men and women? 2 Chron. 6:18 GNT

After attaining the basic necessities of life, what is it that we really want and need?  Such is the question I have been mulling over of late.

In college Psychology 101, we learned about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.  American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, diagrammed human needs that impact motivation in the form of a pyramid, with the most basic, fundamental human needs at the bottom of the pyramid.  Before we can think about moving up the pyramid to fulfill our higher needs, the lower, basic needs – namely food, water, and warmth – must be met first.

The second tier of needs includes security and safety.

But then on the third, middle tier, we find interpersonal needs, belongingness and love needs, including intimate relationships and friends.  If the belongingness and love needs are not met, the result can be loneliness, social anxiety, and/or depression.

The fourth tier has to do with self-esteem and a feeling of accomplishment in life.

Then on the top tier of the pyramid, or the pinnacle, Maslow put self-actualization, or self-fulfillment needs: achieving one’s full potential, including creative activities.  But interestingly, in later years Maslow criticized his original vision of self-actualization, altering it to include transcendence – the desire to reach the infinite and giving oneself to something beyond oneself, as in altruism or spirituality.  Maslow’s revised pyramid pinnacle would include the feeling of being connected to God, a Higher Power, the universe, or the cosmos.

Now, why this Psychology lesson? you may be wondering.  Well, I was reminded of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory when I read an article recently based on data from the Pew Research Center, a non-partisan organization that provides information on social issues, public opinion, and  demographic trends shaping the United States and the world.  The article that I just read is concerned with studies tracking America’s religious landscape and the decline of religious practice, which has been most pronounced among so-called Millennials, people ages 23 to 38.  Many millennials are leaving religion at a high rate, the article notes; hence, they are leaving Christianity and Church membership and involvement as well.

But here is the statement in the article that really got my attention and that reminded me of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: The author of the article (who appears to be a millennial herself) says, “We still want relationships and transcendence, to be part of something bigger than ourselves.”  Relationships and transcendence – tiers three and five of Maslow’s pyramid or hierarchy of needs.

And the author confesses, “Some of us are turning to convenient, low-commitment substitutes for faith and fellowship: astrology, the easy ‘spiritualism’ of yoga and self-care, posting away on Twitter and playing . . . games.”

But then she goes on to say, “Here’s what really worries me: Few of these activities are as geared toward building deep relationships and communal support as the religious traditions the millennials are leaving behind.  Actively participating in a congregation means embedding oneself in a community.  This involves you in the lives of others and the other way around – their joys and sadness, connections and expectations.  By leaving religion, we’re shrugging off the ties that bind, not just loosening them temporarily” [end quote].

The long and the short of the matter is that communal relationships and a seeking after and connecting with the Transcendent are basic needs that all of us strive after!  Hold that thought.

I chose the story of Solomon’s dedication of the Jewish Temple as today’s reading because I believe it includes both of these fundamental human needs – the need for relationships and being involved in religious community, as well as an attempt to attain or experience transcendence.  Let’s look at it closer.

Solomon, as the story relates it anyway, saw the need to construct a Temple dedicated to God and the Hebrew religion where people could congregate in religious community.  It would be a place that would help center and solidify a unified community.  Here they would offer their prayers as they sought God’s blessings upon their lives and work, healings, and national security.  Here they would come to confess their wrongs and human frailties to God and to one another.  The Temple would promote a sense of identity and facilitate a sense of belonging to a larger whole.

But the Temple was also an attempt to experience transcendence.  One of my favorite verses in the story is where Solomon is quoted as having said to God, “But will God really live on earth among people?  Why, even the highest heavens cannot attain you.  How much less this Temple I have built!” (2 Chronicles 6:18).  Solomon realized that the Temple constructed of human hands could not contain God; but at the same time, the Temple could be a reminder of and pointer toward that Transcendent Power of the universe with which humanity seeks connection. 

Although Solomon lived long before Psychology and any sort of systematic teachings about human need and motivation, perhaps subconsciously he sought to address at least two of the fundamental longings and needs of humanity – communal relationships and the quest toward connecting with the Transcendent, the Great Mystery, the Energy and Mover of the universe, what most people refer to as “God.”

Now, the curious thing is both of these needs – communal relationships and the quest to connect with the Transcendent – can  – or should be – met by and through involvement in a church community!  If a church is really being the best and most authentic church that it can be, the leadership should be striving to address not only the needs for communal relationships and the quest to connect with the Transcendent, but addressing the other areas on the hierarchy of human needs pyramid as well. 

Hence, as a church we seek to include in our programs and ministries basic needs of food and warmth as we provide financial support for members and non-members alike who may be struggling financially and in need of food and utility assistance.

The past two years we have done a lot of study in the area of security and safety and have begun putting some better security measures in place for our church and Nursery School, as all of us want the church to be a safe place.

Through our Coffee Fellowships and numerous special meals and events hosted by our Fellowship Committee throughout the year, we address the need for belonging, relationships, and fostering friendships.

Because of our positive and progressive theology, we address self-esteem needs as we seek to affirm all people and encourage all to be the best that they can be.

And although it is always a challenge as to how to go about it, we seek every Sunday and in a number of special services and events throughout the year to provide inspiration and opportunities to develop and strengthen spirituality and to connect with the Transcendent. 

So when it comes to the hierarchy of human needs, the church is a good place to be, since we seek to address these needs on an ongoing basis.  Certainly we can always stand improvement and we are open to suggestions as to particular ways we might do better than we are currently doing.  I would be interested in learning from you the ways or avenues that you feel are windows to the Transcendent.

But to reiterate, as the author of the article points out on “Why millennials are skipping church and not going back,” few of the activities that people are turning to in search of relationships and transcendence “are as geared toward building relationships and communal support as the religious traditions” that are being left behind.

The Church may not be perfect in addressing every human need, but it is trying – or should be.  The author concludes by suggesting that the alternative fads that many people are turning to in attempts to satisfy their needs may be shallow and inadequate.  “But while phases pass, the underlying needs and wants will continue to matter,” she says.  “If we’re closing the church doors behind us, we’ll have to find somewhere else to tend to our spirits and hearts.”  That is a powerful sermon on the importance of supporting one’s local church if I ever heard one!

And so, the human hierarchy of needs – especially the need for communal relationships and transcendence – are timeless and universal.  As humans, we will seek to fill these needs in one way or another.  But why not take a second look at the community of faith – the church – as a number one option for addressing these needs, especially the need for communal relationships and connecting with the Transcendent?  May it be so.  Amen.

Cited: Christine Emba, “Why Millennials are skipping church and not going back,” The Washington Post, Oct. 27, 2019.