He kept walking, leaving us in a mild state of shock. We're used to people saying, "Fine, thanks." Of course, that is sometimes an outright lie. We had walked quite a ways when Bill said, "I should have asked him if there was something I could do to help him." But by that time, the guy was long gone.
In New England, people are honest. That is great. Honesty is a good thing. But the process stalls when you consider another trait of New Englanders: stubborness. Just because they will be honest about themselves and their problems does not mean that they will change.
Many of these people have lived in New England for generations; some of them trace their lineage back to the Mayflower days. It is difficult for New Englanders to adapt to living in other parts of the United States. If they move away, they eventually move back to New England; most of them don't do well elsewhere. Tradition runs strong here.
They remind me a little of James' illustration of the man who looks in the mirror (James 1:22-25). He admits that his hair is all messed up and that he needs to shave and brush his teeth. But then he turns away from the mirror and doesn't do anything about it. He would rather live with messed up hair, whiskers, and icky teeth than change his pattern of life. For those of you who are intercessors, a great prayer request is that New Englanders will build upon their forthrightness with humility and a willingness to change.
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