Americans are lonely people, or so goes a recent report that found, among other things, that the average American has just two close friends. The article closes with the (excellent) suggestion that the church renew its focus on creating meaningful relationships with the lonely people outside its walls.
But Dan Edelen of Cerulean Sanctum takes this a bit further, and observes that many of those lonely people might already be in the church. The person sitting on the pew next to you this Sunday might go home after the service to a life devoid of meaningful relationships or connections to the community:
But just as friendless people exist among the unchurched, the pews of our churches fill up on Sunday with the lonely. Some duck in and slink out without talking with anyone. Perhaps they don't want to talk, or perhaps they do and we just don't notice them. Either way, it's a tragedy.
Christmas is coming, and as we know, the holiday season is an emotionally trying time for anyone suffering from loneliness. As the holidays near, why not think of somebody at your church who often seems to be overlooked or disconnected from the community, and make a point of reaching out to that person?
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