Quick Thoughts: Loneliness

I think that it's fair to say that one of the big problems in the slice of the culture that I am familiar with is loneliness. There is something in us that wants to connect - really connect - with someone else. It wants to know that we are known and loved, warts and all. But for so many of us, it just isn't happening. This problem isn't limited to people who live alone. There are plenty of people who are married, who have lots of acquaintences, who are always a part of some crowd who are lonely. This deep yearning just isn't being met. And the soul feels it.

The obvious solution to loneliness is community. But this is more than being with a bunch of people. You can be lonely in a crowd. In fact, that can be a time when the loneliness comes on the strongest. Community, real community, is about people connecting. It's about some dear people meeting that yearning deep within you. The you that lives behind the walls is known - really understood to some extent - and loved. And at the same time you are meeting the same yearning in them. And when that happens the soul is at peace.

This being connected isn't about always being in the presence of the people you connect with. You don't have to be with the community all the time. It's just that even when you're alone you know that you're not really alone. There are others with whom you are connected. And life works that much better.