There’s been a lot of research in recent years that points to something religious folks have always known – we need each other. Being part of a spiritual community makes us happier and healthier. On a large scale, you live longer and have healthier relationships if you have some kind of positive spiritual community component. It is the rare person who can thrive by being alone; and while all of us have our moments of loneliness, those who have connections with others are able to move through those wilderness times and find healing. The Apostle Paul wrote that when one suffers, all suffer – when one rejoices, all rejoice (1 Corinthians 12). This makes life a little easier. Not perfect – not without struggles – but easier to get through difficult times.
Jesus knew this. He probably could have gone around alone, preaching and healing and creating a stir – but He gathered a group of men and women around Him as He spread the message that the Kingdom of God was near. He preached in the fields and in the water; He also went to the Temple and community synagogues. And yes, when He felt overwhelmed, He would occasionally go to a lonely place to prayer – but He would return to His friends/followers when He felt renewed. In a time when we are able to communicate in more ways than ever, loneliness seems to capture us even more, dragging us down into the abyss. If this is you, maybe you should try something else.
But don’t go where the entertainment is best, or the crowd is the biggest – find a community that heals. Find a place where kindness matters more than dogma – where caring for the poor matters more than what people are wearing to worship. Find a place with good music, good people, and good preaching. Do they use hymnals or a screen on the wall? That doesn’t matter. Is the preacher in a robe or wearing a Hawaiian shirt? Again – doesn’t matter. It isn’t the form that matters – it’s the function. Do they define themselves by who they love, or who they hate? That matters a lot. Can you go there the way you are and find healing and wholeness? That matters too. Because it is not right to be alone – we all need community. Just make sure it is a place that is spiritually healthy. That matters the most.
Prayer – Holy God, thank You for being present with us when we are alone and when we are with others. Help our communities of faith to be places of safety, comfort, and vision. Amen.
Today’s art is a mural from Seattle, WA.