Isolation may be the Church’s greatest missional opportunity.
It seems we are living in a paradox. We are more digitally connected than any generation before us, yet increasingly disconnected at a human level. Communication is constant. Platforms are endless. Information flows without interruption. And still, beneath the surface of all this activity, many people quietly carry a deep sense of aloneness.
Research confirms what pastors and ministry leaders are already observing.
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General released a national advisory identifying loneliness and social isolation as a serious public health crisis (1). The report noted that a lack of meaningful social connection significantly increases the risk of premature death, with health effects comparable in some studies to smoking up to fifteen cigarettes a day (2). Gallup’s global research further indicates that nearly one in four adults worldwide describe themselves as lonely (3).
The data is clear, and the pain is real. But don’t be confused — the problem of isolation is not new.
The story of Scripture actually begins with God’s grand declaration:
“It is not good for the man to be alone.” — Genesis 2:18 (NIV)
From the very beginning, humanity was created for communion with God and with one another. Separation, division, and loneliness conflict with the deepest longings of the human heart. We were designed for community.
When we read the Gospels carefully, we discover that Jesus intentionally and consistently moved toward the isolated.
In John 4, Jesus crossed cultural barriers to meet a Samaritan woman whose shame had pushed her to the margins of life (John 4:1–42). In Mark 5, He stepped into the chaos of a man living among the tombs, rejected and restrained by his own community (Mark 5:1–20). Later in that same chapter, Jesus paused His journey to acknowledge a woman who had suffered quietly for years (Mark 5:25–34). And in Luke 19, He left the crowds to share a meal with a wealthy yet lonely tax collector (Luke 19:1–10).
Isolation was never an interruption to His mission. It was often the doorway to it.
Recently, our South Carolina Ministry Network concluded a two-week tour across the state. At each stop we challenged pastors and ministry leaders to open their eyes to two realities: the growing lostness of our culture and the remarkable opportunity before us to be a faithful witness of Jesus in this moment.
Part of that challenge was simple but significant: pay attention to people.
Because people matter. They matter to God, and they must matter to us. As the church, we cannot afford to overlook the isolated and the lonely. If loneliness is one of the defining realities of our time, then caring for the isolated must be one of the defining callings of the church.
Creative expressions of ministry, whether small groups, Dinner Church, or other outreach efforts, can help us step into new spaces. But the deeper issue is not the method we employ. It is our attentiveness to the need. It is our willingness to truly see and intentionally respond to the isolated people in our communities. As the Psalmist declares:
“God sets the lonely in families.” — Psalm 68:6 (NIV)
This is a promise of God. And we, as the church, become the living expression of that promise when we cultivate communities of belonging rather than mere gatherings of activity.
Over the next several posts, I will explore the way Jesus cultivated belonging with the people He encountered along the way. My hope is that through these stories, you and I will become even more intentional in practicing compassion toward the lonely in our day.
May we have eyes to see them. And may we move toward them.
Today’s Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the example you’ve shown regarding your heart for the least, the lost, an the lonely. There was a time when I was one of those and you found me, saved me, and grafted me into your forever family. For that I am grateful! It’s obvious that you care deeply for the isolated people in this world. Would you give me eyes to see them and a heart that is for them? Help me notice those who most overlook. Stir within me a shepherd’s attentiveness and a courage that moves toward people who are hurting an alone. Show me the way that I may walk in it. And help me to lead others to do the same. I pray this in Jesus’s name, Amen.
Footnotes:
- 2023 U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Loneliness — In May 2023, the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General issued a formal advisory on loneliness and social isolation, highlighting it as a serious public health concern.
- Health Risk Comparable to Smoking — The advisory and subsequent summaries note that lacking social connection and prolonged isolation can increase the risk of premature death and serious health issues, in some studies at levels comparable to the health risks of smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.
- Gallup Global Loneliness Statistics — A Gallup survey reports that nearly one in four people worldwide feel “very or fairly lonely.”