Prisoners of loneliness
Did you hear about the ex-convict who was so lonely he asked if he could go back to prison? It sounds like a joke but it is deadly serious.The 60 year old man from Andalusia who says he is “fed up and suicidal” is demanding to be let back into prison “to have some company”.
Loneliness may not be a crime but it is certainly an epidemic. A staggering 25% of the UK population are lonely. Scientists say we are biologically wired for social contact, but most Christians would go further and argue that it’s because God designed us that way. After all, didn’t he say in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for the man to be alone”?
This weekend, give someone in your community the antidote to loneliness: your company. Invite that old lady next door over for a cup of tea. Phone up an older relative for a chat. Or be like someone I know who likes to befriend people she meets on a park bench. In doing so you are inviting them into the triune relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Psalm 68:6 tells us that “God sets the lonely in families”. Why not ask him to send a lonely person to be a part of yours?
Best wishes
Peter Mill
About the Writer:
Peter Mill is a Minister and the Regional Pastor for Scotland, Ireland and the North of England.