I Look at All the Lonely People

The concept of family is powerful, and God desires for each of us to find our place in a family - in a
biological one, and/or in the family of God. Psalm 68 says:
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name Yah, And rejoice before Him.
5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

God desires to provide for the lonely - when a person is solitary, he or she is vulnerable to feelings of loneliness that can have devastating effects on that person's emotional and even physical well-being, according to a study.   So, God has placed us into families; but that can change, there can be relational issues or a family may be separated by distance or even by death.  But, God wants to be near to the lonely, and provides the opportunity for community through His Church.

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The Bible provides the prescription for how we are to live - in fellowship with God and with our
fellow humans. Hebrews 10 says:
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

God has wired us to be together with other people - He has given us a capacity for community.  And, the state of being lonely is actually a public health concern.

The ministry organization, CV Outreach, has conducted a study that, according to the website, Facts and Trends, "analyzed Google searches for more than 100 terms related to loneliness and ranked U.S. cities by lonely searches per capita."  The website linked to the CV Outreach report, which states:

We chose to research the topic of loneliness for three reasons. Loneliness has far-reaching impact on our culture, it’s a rare opportunity for the church to directly impact a public health crisis, and it’s a call to go back to the basics of what living out our faith looks like.

The report goes on to say:

It’s effecting up to 40% of the country.

The adverse health effects of this epidemic are on par with smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

It’s more damaging to your body than obesity.

It’s associated with a shorter lifespan, cardiovascular disease, dementia, anxiety and depression.

So, what is this health epidemic?

It’s loneliness.

Six out of the top 10 cities in the survey are from the Western United States.  Facts and Trends lists the top 10:

1. Las Vegas, Nevada
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Denver, Colorado
4. Baltimore, Maryland
5. Seattle, Washington
6. Tucson, Arizona
7. Portland, Oregon
8. Boston, Massachusetts
9. Albuquerque, New Mexico
10. Detroit, Michigan

Nashville, at #12, is the largest Southern city.  Dallas is the most populous to make the top 25, at #24.

Stunningly, "The rates of loneliness in Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., and Denver are three times the national average, and all of the top 19 cities have at least double the average rate of loneliness."

Wyoming is the loneliest state, according to the survey report.  Georgia placed 12th, Florida 39th, and Alabama at 42.

Baptist Press ran a story on the survey. It quoted Vance Pitman, pastor of Hope Church in Las Vegas - he said: "Over 90 percent of Las Vegans do not have a relationship with Jesus, and this leaves them with a spiritual emptiness which often leads to real loneliness." And, Pitman added, "The rhythm of Las Vegas life makes building meaningful relationships challenging, and it really only happens with real intentionality..."

Dave Howeth, a North American Mission Board Send City missionary in Denver, stated: "We are a place of escape and adventure with all of the skiing, hiking, biking, mountains, etc.," adding, "Our No. 1 idol is the outdoors. … People move here to get away from family to live the life, but they find it costs more than they ever imagined and so they work more than planned and they are lonely because they don't have family or relationships."

The story also quotes Garrett Kell, pastor of Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA, who
"told BP one factor in D.C.'s ranking on the list is that people who work in the city drive from suburbs all around and are stuck in some of the nation's worst traffic for hours each day. Also, they're working high stress jobs, and when they finally get home at night they just want to relax, he said."

The CV Outreach report says:

The fact that loneliness is now thought of as a transient human state reinforces Biblical Truths around the idea that God has called us into healthy relationships, ultimately into a relationship with Himself. It is the way we were created. As communities of believers, as the family of God, with commandments to love our neighbor, and care for the vulnerable, the impetus is clear; a growing population of people suffering from loneliness is a direct affront to the efficacy of the Church.

The report encourages individuals to "Remember that many people who are lonely, may take the first step towards connection in an online environment." And, individuals can "Strategically prioritize knowing your neighbors."   Churches can speak publicly on the issue and connect with people online, which is a specialty area for that ministry.

The takeaways from this survey and related stories would be:

#1, loneliness attacks not only the emotions, but also the physical health of an individual.  There are tangible effects of people being alone.  According to the survey report, a former surgeon general said that loneliness is more than a feeling, but a physiological health epidemic.

Secondly, we recognize that the Bible teaches or points to antidotes for loneliness.  As Vance Pitman says, "Through the Gospel, we are reconciled to God but also to each other in authentic, transparent community," adding, "Real Gospel transformation leads to life-changing community and doing life with others."

We have the capability to walk with God, who is always there with us - and to encounter the type of community and fellowship that He intends.

And, Bryan Barley is pastor of Summit Church in Denver.  The BP article said:

"You long for community because you were created in the image of a communal God," Barley tells people, adding that it's not a problem they should dismiss or distract from with social media or fun experiences.

Often when people want community, they're looking for what they can take, but at the heart of community is a posture of commitment and sacrifice, Barley said.

So, that brings us to a third takeaway - loneliness can be averted by reaching out in a selfless way; not expecting what others can give, but looking at what we can give.  Jesus gave Himself for us and showed us the way of a servant, enabling us to break free from loneliness and to pursue the joy of meaningful relationships.