A Pandemic of Loneliness
By Gabriel García V.
Many news articles are alerting us that a plague worse than Covid is ravaging countries around the world, one with silent symptoms but lethal aftereffects. Some have labeled it the globalization of loneliness, a type of epidemic that is spreading around the world with devastating consequences. And it’s impacting young and old.
Many people lead lives of isolation, confinement, and withdrawal. We live in a sea of loneliness, where touch technology has replaced the human touch. Indeed, as the Bible predicted, the love of many has grown cold (Matthew 24:12).
“Loneliness is an open wound in our time,” says Chilean interviewer and columnist Cristián Warnken. He adds, “We are much concerned about climate change, but talk and do little about the growing desert creeping into human relations.”
“Loneliness can literally shorten our life,” declares Michel Poulain, a Belgian demographer specializing in longevity studies, who introduced the concept of blue zones, regions of the world where people have exceptionally long lives. He says that “in blue zones people prioritize social relations, they gather at plazas, talk in cafés and play together. Social contact is a truly essential principle. In these communities, interpersonal relationships are at the heart of daily life.” His advice for us is to “try to talk to two or three persons during the day.”
But as mentioned before, many young people are also plagued by this lack of human company; children fail to have significant contact with others and are exposed to depression or suicidal ideas. Is the solution only medical? To just medicalize the issue would be simplistic, when it is also a social and spiritual issue.
Can we as Christians do anything to alleviate this malady? Indeed, we have a treasury of resources. God’s Spirit can empower us and show us creative ways to help. If we know of a lonely person, they may enjoy a phone call. If we notice that people seldom drop in on a neighbor, we can pass by to say hello and ask if they need anything. If someone starts rattling off a long, detailed story—often a sign of not having anyone to converse with—we can hear them out. We can let people that seem isolated know that we are there for them. These sacrifices are pleasing to God (Hebrews 13:16).
Like Rick Warren says, we were “created for community.” By being on the lookout for each other and loving our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30–31), we can help to remedy this ailment, even if only in our own corner of the world. And as we reach out to others, we in turn alleviate our own loneliness. We become both comforters and comforted. Volunteer work is a way to both reach out to others and supply your own need for fellowship. This does wonders for your spirit and helps keep you connected, relevant, and active.
As Christians, we can also seek out community through joining a local church, Bible study, small group, prayer group, WhatsApp group, etc. When an opportunity arises, it’s helpful to make an effort to overcome your shyness by approaching someone and striking up a conversation. You’ll be surprised how many interesting, friendly, and empathetic people you’ll meet who are happy to chat.
So, on the one hand, as Christians we are ministers of hope to those in need, and on the other hand, if we ourselves are alone and friendless, we can seek out community through various means.
That’s on the social side. On the spiritual side, the key is to discover God’s unconditional love for each one of us as His precious son or daughter, and to know that Jesus cares and longs to be our best friend.
So, if you’re walking through the dark ravines of aloneness, or know of someone who is, take heart. Remember that God will be with you and comfort you (Psalm 23:4), and will not leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). “Even if my father and mother left me all alone, the Lord would take me in” (Psalm 27:10). Scripture also guarantees that Jesus will not leave us as orphans (John 14:18). For those who have lost their sense of belonging (a major cause of loneliness), or perhaps never had it, it says, “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home” (Psalm 68:5–6).
Do you sometimes feel like there is “not even one friendly hand,” as the famous French poet Arthur Rimbaud put it? Reach out to the Lord and He will be your helping hand. Are you friendless and abandoned, and figure nobody hears you? God will hear your cry when you walk without hope in the desert of loneliness, just as He heard Hagar’s cry (Genesis 21:14–21) and the desperate pleading of the psalmist (Psalm 18:6). If you don’t have anybody else to vent your pains and anguish to, the Lord’s ear is always ready to listen to you.
And best of all, we can be at peace about our future, as Jesus promised that He would be with us every day till the end. “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).
