Loneliness
This Sunday at QPLive we continue our series on feelings. One of the things we have been learning during this series is that feelings are important because they give us information, they tell us something about ourselves, and what we need.
Loneliness is not all bad, which may come as a surprise to you. Just as the feeling of being hungry tells us that our body needs food, so the feeling of loneliness gives us the information that our souls need connection.
Bible Passage
We will look at Mark 14:43 – 51, where Jesus experiences a loneliness that comes from being abandoned by those who were close to him, a particularly painful form of loneliness. I’d encourage you to read this passage before Sunday and allow the Spirit to speak to you through it.
Roots of Loneliness
Being abandoned by those close to Jesus was the root of the loneliness he experienced on this occasion. However, while abandonment is a particularly traumatic root of loneliness, there are other causes and we will take time to also think about alienation and isolation as being at the root of our experience of loneliness.
Being Practical
Importantly, we also want to explore what we can practically do – especially during these days of COVID restrictions in which feelings can be amplified – to stop ourselves from becoming stuck in loneliness. More than this, we need to be open to God prompting us to be part of the solution, a piece of the answer, to the loneliness those around us may be experiencing.
Questions
So, these are the questions I’d like to leave you with and know your answer(s) to:
What practical steps have you taken so you don’t get stuck in a place of loneliness?
And
What role can you play in helping others not become lonely or help them move from feeling lonely to being connected in a healthy way?
We have so much to learn from each other, and I’d love to know your thoughts and answers to these questions. You can respond by email, office@qpbc.org, or if you are comfortable doing so you can leave your answers in the comments section during QPLive.
Grace and peace.
Brodie