That plea arose with vigor and fanatic desire because the hippies had given up their connection to the past in their pursuit of the hippie future.
The hippy future did not have the prime source of community that prevailed before the hippies.
The prime source of community had been the church. Churches provided classes for young people, care for people getting married, care for families in trouble, care for the elderly, food, job hunting services, condolences and support for the dying. Churches provided housing for seniors, hospitals of every sort and counselling at every hour of the day.
The hippies didn’t know that. They joined Buddhist temples, they pursued every form of new religion and clung to one another in massive crowds of protest and music.
What they didn’t know, what we didn’t know, was that a common religion or common ideology or common ethic was vital for people to get along with each other and and allow them to form community.
It should be no surprise that in the late hippie and post-hippie periods, that nondenominational mega-churches evolved to provide all of the community services. Many mega-churches went so far as to have motorcycle committees, camping committees and world travel committees.
Without the centuries old trappings of mainstream churches and with powerful community elements that mega churches offer, it is not surprising that they have grown so rapidly.