<<First Name>>
Overnight the COVID19 pandemic severed connections across the world. As states closed and the world around us shut down, we quickly discovered just how disconnected we truly are. Even with tools like social media loneliness has been a growing plague in the world long before the pandemic hit.
In 2014, former Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy decided to set out on a listening tour to discover what issues of health should set his agenda. What he discovered caught him by surprise. While many health issues like the opioid epidemic and rising rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease came up as expected, he was surprised to discover a common complaint, running like a dark thread through many of the conversations concerning addiction, violence, anxiety, and depression. Amplifying the pain of these health concerns was loneliness and isolation. Dr. Murthy observed:
The more I studied the seesaw relationship between loneliness and togetherness, the more convinced I became of the great power of human connection. So many of the problems we face as a society--from addiction and violence to disengagement among workers and students to political polarization--are worsened by loneliness and disconnection. Building a more connected world holds the key to solving these and many more of the personal and societal problems confronting us today. - Murthy, Together p. XIX
The COVID19 pandemic has only amplified the loneliness and isolation we have been experiencing as a nation with devastating consequences. Why? Because we were created for connection. You were created for community. For you were created in the image of God - a God who is relational and is all about community.
So how can we connect in a disconnected world? The key is belonging. We recognize we were created to belong to one another. Together is not a political term meant to get everyone to go through the same experience, or to do things the exact same way. Together is about creating community and a sense of belonging in a world otherwise disconnected from one another. As Christians, we are called together to create a community of belonging, where we all can come before God and discover his grace and love for us all. We may not all look alike, vote alike, or even think alike, but we belong to each other because we were made in the image of God. We belong together because God has called us his own.
Whether you are looking to strengthen your connection in your marriage, your relationships at work or at home, we invite you as we kick off our new series this week: Together. Because no matter how lonely you may feel, there is a place you belong.
Connect with us this Sunday at 9:30 am at Fredrickson Field or on Facebook live at 11:00 am. Register for worship here!
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Gordon
|