06-07-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 7, 2024
Loneliness and isolation are described as some of the most significant mental health concerns in our nation, and simply being around people does not solve these concerns. There is no question that the pandemic intensified these concerns, but it was already a serious issue prior to COVID lockdowns, and it has not relented since. In John 14:18, Jesus said,

“I won’t leave you as orphans. I will come to you.”

The Greek word we translated as orphan sort of looks like our English word. It is orphanous, and it can be understood technically in the sense of a child who has no parents. But it also, like the English word, carries a feeling of desolation, or, as one person described it, a feeling of forsakenness that one has been left behind.

The church needs to be a place of welcome, where all people feel as if they are received in love, but there is an additional step. Loneliness is not overcome by placing oneself in a crowd. It is finding a place where you are known, and you feel as if you can share that part of yourself that is often kept hidden. I don’t believe that occurs after a first visit, but those of us within the church must always be mindful of how we are creating a safe and accessible space where those who have felt loneliness and isolation find connection. The Body of Christ needs to be an expression of those words from John 14, where those who have felt abandoned and forgotten find purposeful and life-giving connection.

Wherever I can serve as an ambassador of your hospitality and love, O God, I hope my life witness can create a welcoming space for anyone on a journey toward healing of mind and spirit. Amen.