IMHO one of the biggest tragedies of this pandemic has not been the loss of jobs. It has not been the shuttering of businesses. It has not been the sicknesses, the suffering, nor even the deaths that have come (no matter how bad that is for some). It has not been the loss of income. It has not been the fear. It has not been the masks or the lack of in-person learning that some children have had to endure or the sheer inconvenience. No. I think it has been something much more insidious. Something that has ripped out the core of some people. What is it?
Loneliness.
People feeling all alone. People isolated. People feeling as though no one cares. Some could go days without human interaction of any kind. No call. No visit. No contact, especially of the human kind. We have tended to wrap ourselves into our own cocoon and safely ensconce ourselves in a self-made protective barrier. Or so we think.
Why am I thinking of this today? Because of this verse of Scripture I read: “But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there shall be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (I Cor. 12:24-26 emphasis mine)
The tragedies of this pandemic are many. But being alone may be the greatest. It should never be. One of the challenges of being the church is its calling to reach out to all. That includes those who are holed up in their bunker, their cocoon of “safety.”
“Father, help me not to be guilty of keeping my eyes inward. Help me to look out for others and to share their burden.”
Amen! Wow, so very true! Love the verses from 1 Corinthians 12. Often wonder what it would be like if we all lived more fully as the “body” we were intended to be.
If we lived more fully as the body there would be a major change in our life and our world. Thanks for coming by Crystal.
I have to agree, Bill, that loneliness is a huge tragedy caused by this pandemic. We are not wired to survive alone, and I’m praying daily for a vaccine to combat this virus.
Blessings!
You are right Martha it is a tragedy. I feel bad for those who find themselves alone.