"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted."(Psalm 25:16)
One of the problems that I encounter daily, just from being on the internet is the level of fear and dis ease that seems to be permeating the world. I wonder what the root of it might be? A piece of that puzzle may very well be that many people feel lonely. We can have hundreds and in some cases thousands of Facebook friends. We can be surrounded daily by people and yet feel lonely.
Part of that loneliness comes from watching our world change. The things which at one time made us feel connected are snapping. We look around and see people who don't look like me taking the places that were usually held by people like me. I begin to wonder, will anyone understand me? Loneliness comes when we stop being able to relate to a wider variety of folk. I would think it would be very lonely to be a liberal voice in a conservative area, or a conservative voice in a liberal area. Very few of us are called to being a prophetic witness.
And as we begin to slip further into that lonely space we start to feel afflicted, physically and emotionally. And all of this just deepens that hole we find ourselves in. And eventually we get to a place of crying out for help. Will anyone notice us? Can we get some level of graciousness extended our way.
Part of it for me, when I get feeling lonely is to reach out to those real friends. I also do as the psalmist does cry out to God. And once I can give voice to all that is weighing me down, either through prayer, or even over lunch with a trusted friend, or both, the healing I may need can begin.
Blessings,
Ed
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