Psalm 68:6 “God sets the lonely in families….”
Our culture seems to be headed on a runaway train toward dehumanization. We’re losing our sense of commonality. Of what it means to be fellow inhabitants on the planet. Of what it means to be human.
In spite of all the wonderful technological advances we’re experiencing, a chilling effect on what it means to be human shadows our search engines. Over 60% of U.S. adults report being lonely, and of those, 73% cite technology and social media for creating superficial, rather than meaningful, connections. Over 70% of teenagers use AI companions for friendship and emotional support. Sadly, some even report “romantic” relationships. Yikes!
We were made for community. Person to person. Human to human. Not human to chatbot. One of the first interactions God had with the first man was to give him another human, a flesh and blood companion. Why? Because he saw it wasn’t good for man to be alone.
God designed relationships to foster our growth. We sharpen one another (Proverbs 27:17). Carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). We pray together, learn together, confess our sins to one another and develop selfless love.So it’s no wonder the writer of Hebrews warns us not to give up meeting together (10:24-25).
Our phones have made it easy to avoid human-to-human contact. The other day I was standing in line waiting to place my bagel order. The line was long, so I pulled out my cell phone and started scrolling. A woman came up behind me and asked if I was at the end of the line. After affirming yes, I knew I could either go back to my email or engage in a conversation. I put my phone back in my pocket. And we chatted for the next few minutes as we waited for our turn. Nothing out of the ordinary, just common conversing. And as I started to leave, she ran over to tell me they were out of the jalapeno cheddar bagels she’d wanted!
That small, seemingly insignificant interaction reminded me of how fulfilling it is to experience people. Close. Personal. Human to human. Don’t miss it!