Lonliness

Recently we were doing a Bible Study on Genesis 2. It was one of those wonderful deep dives where we explored words and marveled at the beauty of the literature. However, something stuck out to us that was not foreseen in my own planning but created a beautiful reflection for the current situation we find ourselves in during the pandemic. One of the people in the Bible Study noticed that Adam was lonely. God saw that Adam was alone and knew that it was not a good thing. God first tried remedying this with animals but found only another human would do.

What struck out to us in that this is before the fall. Adam experienced loneliness long before the world was broken. Even more compelling is that Adam felt alone, even when God was with him. Remember, Adam had direct contact and open dialogue with God, yet he still felt alone. We recognized that night, just as God did, humans were meant to be in the community. We are meant to be with our partners, allies, friends, and family. Companionship is built into our very nature.

We understood during Covid, lockdown, we may be feeling the itch to see people and break quarantine. It is our duty to stay on the path as best we can. It is equally important to recognize that our emotions, isolation, and loneliness are real. We cannot simply rely on our connection with God to cure our loneliness. We, humans, need interaction. However, the beauty of the current age is we can visit with each other digitally. Do not be afraid to facetime people, zoom call, or skype. Stay connected with people as best you can. If you are looking for a good ministry to do while at home, pick one person to call a day. The hard truth is we are in this together, but lockdown can be very isolating. Even now, as we slowly reopen, we are yearning for connection. Continue to be safe, find connections where you can, and above all, give yourself grace.