Dealing With Loneliness (4)
Series: Dealing With...
Donald Cantrell
1 Kings 19:1-4
Theme: ‘‘In a world of 7.96 billion people, loneliness is everywhere’’
I - The Record of Loneliness
II - The Reality of Loneliness
III - The Realm of Loneliness
IV - The Ramifications of Loneliness
V - The Remedy of Loneliness
CROWDED LONELINESS
At a recent small groups conference at Saddleback Church Randy Frazee spoke on the ‘‘call to community.’’ He reported the average American family manages 35 separate relationships on a day-to-day basis--children, extended family, neighbors, government, school, friends, work, Starbucks employees, landlords, telemarketers, etc. And this is before that family gets invited to church, which usually adds another six or more connections. He refers to this phenomenon as ‘‘crowded loneliness.’’ We are in desperate need of meaningful relationships, yet too busy and too pulled to maintain them. Even worse, our attempts to relieve our sense of isolation often contribute to our fragmentation. We might join a small group, for example. We’ll get in contact with 3 to 11 other dedicated Christians and commit to meet and study the Bible every week. Now those 3 to 11 people become another chunk of relationships that we have to manage. Relationships that carry a cost in time, energy, emotion...even dollars. In other words, our attempts to forge meaningful relationships often add up to being ‘‘just another thing to do.’’
‘‘Out of Ur’’
Ann Landers said this about the many letters she received. ‘‘I’ve learned plenty-including, most meaningfully, what Leo Rosten had in mind when he said, ‘‘Each of us is a little lonely, deep inside, and cries to be understood.’’ I have learned how it is with stumbling, tortured people in this world who have nobody to talk to. The fact the column has been a success underscores, for me at least, the central tragedy of our society, the disconnectedness, the insecurity, the fear that bedevils, cripples and ...
Series: Dealing With...
Donald Cantrell
1 Kings 19:1-4
Theme: ‘‘In a world of 7.96 billion people, loneliness is everywhere’’
I - The Record of Loneliness
II - The Reality of Loneliness
III - The Realm of Loneliness
IV - The Ramifications of Loneliness
V - The Remedy of Loneliness
CROWDED LONELINESS
At a recent small groups conference at Saddleback Church Randy Frazee spoke on the ‘‘call to community.’’ He reported the average American family manages 35 separate relationships on a day-to-day basis--children, extended family, neighbors, government, school, friends, work, Starbucks employees, landlords, telemarketers, etc. And this is before that family gets invited to church, which usually adds another six or more connections. He refers to this phenomenon as ‘‘crowded loneliness.’’ We are in desperate need of meaningful relationships, yet too busy and too pulled to maintain them. Even worse, our attempts to relieve our sense of isolation often contribute to our fragmentation. We might join a small group, for example. We’ll get in contact with 3 to 11 other dedicated Christians and commit to meet and study the Bible every week. Now those 3 to 11 people become another chunk of relationships that we have to manage. Relationships that carry a cost in time, energy, emotion...even dollars. In other words, our attempts to forge meaningful relationships often add up to being ‘‘just another thing to do.’’
‘‘Out of Ur’’
Ann Landers said this about the many letters she received. ‘‘I’ve learned plenty-including, most meaningfully, what Leo Rosten had in mind when he said, ‘‘Each of us is a little lonely, deep inside, and cries to be understood.’’ I have learned how it is with stumbling, tortured people in this world who have nobody to talk to. The fact the column has been a success underscores, for me at least, the central tragedy of our society, the disconnectedness, the insecurity, the fear that bedevils, cripples and ...
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