Oh, I’m not talking about me. Sure, as I write this I am sitting alone while outside my window are approximately 25–million Delhitians. But I read about an 87–year–old village widow who at night painstakingly takes a sheet of blank paper, folds it and puts in the window of her crumbling house. At dawn she removes the paper indicating to her neighbors that she made it through the night. The newspaper noted—she might be the loneliest old woman in this second–most–populated country in the world.
I was heartbroken when I read that. Is it too much for neighbors to drop in once in a while? Is there not anyone there who cares for her?
Flip the page from a woman of rags to one of riches, a wealthy movie star, Anne Hathaway says: “the thing that I’m most worried about is just being alone without anybody to care for or someone which will care for me.” I don’t know anything about her, but she must be surrounded by all sorts of friends and colleagues, as well as paparazzi and leeches. People would be lining–up to be her friend. Yet, there’s an emptiness, monophobia.
The UK has a supposed answer to loneliness, or at least they are trying to address the problem. In January the Theresa May government appointed a Minister of Loneliness to start looking into how they can help the estimated 9–million people in her country who often or always feel lonely. In fact, government research has found that about 200,000 older people in Britain had not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month. What? Are you serious?
The Facebook post with a picture of an idyllic cabin in the woods read something like “Could you live here for 365 days without any contact with the outside world to receive $365,000?” I commented: “Could my family get the money if I killed myself after two weeks?”
We are not an island. We are created to be in fellowship with others. Loneliness leads to depression and depression often leads to suicide. Could this be one of the reasons the suicide rate in the US rose 28 percent between 1999 and 2016? Surrounded by people but no one to talk to.
Listen friend, there is no reason for loneliness in the church. We’re a family and need to look out for each other. So how about the next time you see someone sitting by themselves in church, you join them? Why not get a list of shut–ins from your pastor and visit one at least once–a–month? It’s the least you can do. And this might keep them from using a piece of paper in their window as a signal if they are dead or alive.
Sure am glad for Facebook when I am over here. Lots of friends with whom to communicate.
We vs. I
Dan Allen
2/23/2022
Going to Hell
Dan Allen
12/14/2021
Stay Away from the Meatloaf
Dan Allen
11/6/2021
A Dog Leading the Way
Dan Allen
7/27/2021
The Speed–Breakers of Life
Dan Allen
7/10/2021
High School Reunion
Dan Allen
4/8/2021
"Skin, it's the thing that's in"
Dan Allen
3/13/2021
Emerging from a Covid Cell
Dan Allen
2/20/2021
'Twas The Real Night Before Christmas
Russell T Allen
12/17/2020
Christmas Catalogs
Dan Allen
11/14/2020
Cancel This!
Dan Allen
10/3/2020
Don't Judge By Its Cover
Dan Allen
9/8/2020
Our Plans Trumped by God
Dan Allen
9/5/2020
We Fall Down
Dan Allen
8/5/2020
Battle with a Bug
Dan Allen
7/13/2020
Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out
Dan Allen
7/3/2020
Setting the bar too low
Dan Allen
6/25/2020
Good is Evil, Evil is Good
Dan Allen
6/9/2020
Misguided Freedom
Dan Allen
6/4/2020
A Preaching Nightmare
Dan Allen
5/9/2020
Restaurant and/or Church Possible
Dan Allen
5/2/2020
A Good Dose of Cloistering Going On
Dan Allen
4/15/2020
So, Where is God in All of This?
Dan Allen
4/14/2020
I Finally Learned How to Wash My Hands
Dan Allen
4/13/2020
Fire Truck - Glory Train
Dan Allen
4/16/2019
Some Sins Seem to Do More Damage
Dan Allen
4/16/2019
The Canopy is Gone
Dan Allen
12/15/2018
Brushing Teeth with Iced Tea
Dan Allen
11/5/2018
Never in Danger, but Could Have Been
Dan Allen
11/4/2018
Another Festival
Dan Allen
11/3/2018
Cow Town
Dan Allen
11/2/2018
Dressing Down
Dan Allen
11/1/2018
#MeToo
Dan Allen
10/25/2018
All Alone Among 1.35 Billion People
Dan Allen
10/24/2018
Does Anyone Know What Time It Is?
Dan Allen
10/23/2018
Time To Be Spiritual Weather Forecasters
Dan Allen
10/22/2018
Words Change . . . But Someone Gets the Final Word
Dan Allen
9/4/2018
To Cremate or Not to Cremate
Dan Allen
7/15/2018
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Dan Allen
7/4/2018
I Finally Caught a Foul Ball . . . Sort of
Dan Allen
6/8/2018
I Can Only Imagine
Dan Allen
6/1/2018
Do Panhandlers Have Regulars
Dan Allen
4/8/2018
Can't Good Dogs Go To Heaven?
Dan Allen
4/3/2018
At the Taj . . . in pictures only
Dan Allen
1/24/2018
Cold, But Warm Inside
Dan Allen
1/22/2018
Don't Remove the Plastic
Dan Allen
1/12/2018
Put Your Big Boy Pants On
Dan Allen
1/9/2018
In the Spirit . . . or not?
Dan Allen
1/3/2018
You Could Cut It With a Knife
Dan Allen
1/1/2018
Personal Message Boards
Dan Allen
11/24/2017
Men Acting Badly, err Should We Say---Horribly!
Dan Allen
11/18/2017
History of Bible Fellowship Church of Ephrata
Dan Allen
8/29/2017
Large Crowd Diversion
Dan Allen
6/19/2017
Bikes, Bikers, and Trying New Things
Dan Allen
6/18/2017
Lessons from T-Ball for Churches
Dan Allen
6/17/2017
Authenticity of and in Jeans
Dan Allen
5/11/2017
Don't Let Me Fall
Dan Allen
4/22/2017
Have We Lost the "Awe-factor," Wonderment?
Dan Allen
4/21/2017
Bumped - Not Bumbed
Dan Allen
4/13/2017
Go Fly a Kite
Dan Allen
1/18/2017
What's In Your Bag?
Dan Allen
1/17/2017
Cultural Faux Pas
Dan Allen
1/13/2017
The Three Hour Trip Ends Up 23 Hours
Dan Allen
1/12/2017
Walking Headrest Cover
Dan Allen
1/9/2017
The Gift that Keeps Giving
Dan Allen
12/17/2016
Let's Keep Things in Perspective
Dan Allen
8/1/2015
I've Got the Nine
Dan Allen
6/26/2015
God Often Works in Mysterious Ways
Dan Allen
6/5/2015
I'm From Negadelphia
Dan
3/24/2015
Positive Spin
Dan Allen
2/16/2015
