What if we lived in a world of isolation?

What if we lived in a world of isolation?

I recently spoke with a young woman battling cancer. She traveled out of state for chemotherapy, where multiple patients sit for hours in one room. Curtains separate three stations per room. A nurse explained they were put up during the pandemic and never taken down. What was meant for safety has turned into hours of isolation.

What barriers still keep us apart? Curtains and walls—literal or figurative—have made us more disconnected. If we keep building walls instead of bridges, we risk living in C.S. Lewis’s picture of hell from The Great Divorce.

Building bridges begins with listening to opposing ideas and not trying to find evidence that confirms a particular point of view. While studying isolation, I found research that questioned my assumptions. Some warn of an “isolation epidemic,” but a recent review of the data suggested the crisis may not be as dire. Even so, isolation remains a struggle.

One solution is simple: go to church in person. Full disclosure—I am a pastor. My life is devoted to gathering people into a physical space week after week. At our church, we reach out to absent members because we believe God calls His people to gather.

Of course, no church is perfect. Churches have caused harm, and I’ve played a part. But I’ve also been blessed by those willing to challenge me. The church should be a place where respectful conversation and correction happen, all under God’s grace. The fact that so many diverse churches still gather around the world is nothing short of miraculous.

Church also provides a shared foundation for truth. It’s not mine, yours, or the church’s to control. God alone has the final say. That shared humility strengthens community.

I’ve seen church families care deeply for one another. The truth is, the church needs you as much as you need the church. What if your presence encouraged someone else? What friendships might bless you and others?

Sometimes it takes just one step. That young woman, now filled with poison from the treatment, could have left in silence. Instead, she spoke a few kind words to the person beside her. That small gesture broke through the curtain barrier—and it meant the world.

Find a church this weekend. Step into a community that pushes back against isolation. God did not leave us alone. He came in Jesus Christ—our Savior and Redeemer—so we could have an eternal relationship with Him and with one another.