8th August 2023
All alone
It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there’s no one to help, tough!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (TPT)
There’s a very popular song doing the rounds at the moment. The general gist is that the girl is better off on her own, doesn’t need anyone in her life and can meet all her own needs. One line in particular, pretty much sums up the entire song, ‘I can love me better than you can.’
As I write I shall soon be heading to Wales for the start of our Youth Summer Camp – SEP. There we look to support teenagers as they come to know Christ, and experience a little of the haven from the world that we try to create: a community of believers that mirror their lives on Christ.
When you ask these kids what they come to camp for, almost all of them will say they want to make new friends. We want that for them too, and when you get to know them you find out that they want that so badly because many of them are so very alone.
Adults too, not just the kids in this world, seem to be plagued by loneliness and isolation. Some people know hundreds of others but couldn’t call any of them friends. I have had some hard conversations with strangers in recent months who seem desperate for some human connection and affection and freely admit that they are doing life in total isolation.
One place that comes to mind when I think of all these people is the Church. We have an opportunity, given us by our Lord Jesus, to create communities where all are invited, welcomed, and valued. In those church fellowships we can introduce them to Jesus Christ who is our constant companion, the very best friend, and our mentor in all things. There they can also join with others who will love and appreciate them – in fellowship and community. A place to belong.
Let’s go and bring people out of the cold and into the warmth of our churches, homes, and church families where they can bask in the glow of getting to know their Lord and Saviour with us, with each other, together.
Prayer
Lord, you love all people and desire to have them know you and your love for them, to belong to the church, the body of believers and to you. Open our eyes to the ripe fields around us, and teach us how to be inviting, welcoming, and loving to all.
In Jesus’s sweet name, Amen.
Study by Sinead Henderson
About the writer:
Sinead Henderson attends the Northampton congregation of Grace Communion International
Local congregation:
GCI Northampton
Ecton Village Hall
78A High Street
Ecton
Northampton
NN6 0QB
Local congregational contact:
Maggie Mitchell
Email: maggie.mitchell@btinternet.com
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church