Unrelenting news of corona virus deaths. Contaminated nursing homes. The spiritual poverty of long-distance livestreamed liturgies. Directives like “Stay home!” and “Wear a mask at the grocery stories, parks and pharmacies.” and “Stay six feet apart from others.” These are bitter pills for whole cities, states and countries at a time. In the face of all this, how can we isolate ourselves for months at a time without being gripped and paralyzed by loneliness?
Public service announcements from television actors echo a tiny piece of God’s wisdom, “You are not alone.” In Isaiah 49: 15-16, we hear more from our creator; should a mother lose her tenderness for her child, “I can never forget you. I have written your names on the palms of my hands.” Let us search the Bible for more life-giving truths.
Jesus knows Loneliness. Jesus suffered loneliness many times. He was constantly misunderstood by his disciples. He was abandoned in the Garden of Gethsemane. He cried out from the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus joins us in this part of the human condition. Acknowledge the emotions that often get tangled up with loneliness, like: desolation, fear, sadness, self-pity. Think of the flood of emotions that the widow of Naam, who lost her only son, experienced. Jesus took pity on her and raised him back to life. He can raise us too.
- Response: Concentrate on one emotion, loneliness first, and give yourself to Jesus, especially through religious music. Spend more time with Jesus than you do with news about this deadly virus.
Move from loneliness to solitude. Jesus often embraced being alone, whether it was on a mountain or in a small piece of wilderness at the edge of a village. He chose to cultivate the gift of solitude by embracing the presence of his Father. Choose solitude. Choose God, the Father. Choose “godly grief” (of friendship) that leads to new life, versus “worldly grief” that leads to death (2 Corinthians 7:10).
- Response: Admit loneliness to a friend, a family member, a person on a help line.
Jesus is the Good Samaritan for you. We are living this Gospel scene today. We must avoid others, even family, to the point of shunning the balm of human touch. But still we have Jesus, the Good Samaritan, who wants to lift us up, bathe our emotional wounds. He has spared no expense in caring for us. Jesus is our healer.
- Response: AFTER you picture Jesus caring for you, reach out to others by phone, by sitting at someone’s window, through video conferencing programs like Facetime of Zoom, or by making donations.
St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Of all the diseases I have known, loneliness is the worst.” So, find simple, yet creative, ways to respond to the loneliness and the need for human contact. We did. We put our pride aside, admitted our feelings and asked to meet all of our children and grandchildren online for Easter. It was just the medicine that we needed.