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LONELINESSLet no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier - to children, to the poor, to all who suffer and are lonely, give always a happy smile. Mother TeresaI am convinced that loneliness is one of the major problems facing society today. A study by an insurance company found that the most lonely group are college students that might explain the dreadful statistic of youth suicide. Next on the list are divorced people, welfare recipients, single mothers, rural students, housewives, and the elderly. These groups constitute a large section of society. One may ask why are they lonely? After all, most people would have daily contact with others in similar circumstances. I know of elderly people in retirement villages or hostels who are surrounded by other seniors, yet are desperately lonely. College students who at times must yearn for peace and quiet in their noisy and busy world, yet are lonely enough to contemplate a final solution. So what is lacking in this daily contact that does not resolve this condition of loneliness? I believe that it has something to do with the depth and variety of that contact. A college student, away from home, who is welcomed and hosted by another family for the occasional meal; an elderly person who can be visited by someone outside that closed group and four walls that constitute their environment. I am often asked by fellow believers how they can serve as Christians in this overcrowded yet lonely world. There is no more effective ministry than that of visitation. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:8-10). David, hiding in a cave, desperately lonely and troubled, saw his surroundings as a prison. He wrote in Psalm 142:7 "Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me." So many people today see their world as a prison. As Mother Teresa, that wonderful Christian who must have lifted the spirits of thousands of lonely people, said to all who suffer and are lonely, give always a happy smile. Have a good week - visit someone who may be lonely. Pastor Ron. A companion Bible study is available as page 2 of the weekly message. Click here for that study.
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