Marvelous Mutual Encouragement

Unlearning Isolation, Part 3

We’re concluding a three-part series that constitutes a chapter of my book in progress, “The Art of Unlearning.” You can read part one HERE and part two HERE. Since this is a work in progress, I’d be especially interested in your reflections and reactions in the comments afterwards, especially since this post completes the chapter.

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We live in a world that is hostile to the love and presence of God. Sin seeks to actively lure us away from him, but even when we don’t give way to sin, daily life distracts us from the abundance that God wants to give to us. Pause for a moment and you’ll see that this world, as it is now run by powers hostile to God, is a factory that produces loneliness on a global scale.

You can have a tough day that isn’t about sin but that still produces loneliness. A relationship with a child, parent, spouse, friend or co-worker drains you. Something you cleaned gets messed up, making you feel unappreciated or taken for granted. Something you created gets ignored or criticized. Urgent distractions keep you from doing what you want to do or were supposed to do. A nagging headache, a sore back, weather that plummets just when you wanted to go out for a walk or run; a needy individual sucking the last remaining vestiges of your joy; all produce low-grade frustration that makes you just want to escape.

Such things happen in a good but fallen world and sometimes they seem to pile up on each other. If we want to remain active participants, we need constant refreshment.