Many of us know that prior to any number of health issues arising in our body, there are often years of abuse or neglect that preceded the issues. For example, high cholesterol or high salt diets, smoking or alcohol can lead to various health issues. Such things are precursors to health issues that, unless we address them, we can cause serious health issues.
Well, lately I have been hearing about another precursor to health issues that we as a parish community can do something about. It is one of those issues that we know is not good, but perhaps we never knew the direct connection between it and health problems. And like other precursors, to address it it takes a change of habits… which is the difficulty. The funny thing is, like all precursors to health issues, we can do something about this condition both for ourselves as well as for others. What is this condition? Social isolation and loneliness.
The CDC website explicitly defines social isolation as, “the lack of relationships with others and little to no social support or contact.” It defines loneliness as, “feeling alone or disconnected from others ... not having meaningful or close relationships or a sense of belonging.” It links the following health conditions to isolation and loneliness: heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, dementia, and earlier death.
The difference between social isolation and loneliness is the difference between context versus felt experience. Social isolation is a context of separation from others: lack of transportation, disabilities causing one to live alone, disease, illnesses, or phobias that keep us separated from others, or even barricading one in one’s own house intentionally to avoid others. Loneliness, on the other hand, is a felt experience of being separated from others, even if one is surrounded by people. A person can be lonely amid others as much as by oneself. Depression, marginalization, discrimination, impoverishment, lack of social skills, lack of perceived friendships, being silently side-lined or states in life like recent divorce, loss of spouse, being the partner of a person who is addicted, abusive, or emotionally distant, etc.
The fact is this: St. Francis of Assisi parish exists to foster relationships with God and with others so that people need not remain alone (social isolation) nor feel alone (loneliness). To the degree people are shut into their homes or nursing facilities, we have homebound ministers who can bring Communion to houses and pray with people. To the degree that people are mobile, there are any number of prayer, formation, or stewardship opportunities people can be engaged in. So what I am saying is this: overcoming social isolation and loneliness is a two way road – we parishioners must reach out to the isolated and the lonely AND the isolated and the lonely need to reach out to others – even if that is a new habit that at first may be awkward.
BUT! As a parish, we can do better at this! We MUST do better at this! I have often said, “The God, who Himself is a community of persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – desires to be worshiped in a community of persons.” Christianity is fundamentally a COMMUNITY united in love of God and love of neighbor. Anything that can be done to foster a community such as small groups that watch Formed.org videos, basketball or pickleball groups, prayer groups, study groups, rosary groups, adoration partners, young parents’ group, home-visitors, neighbors who knock on one another’s doors, coffee buddies, or whatever other ways can foster community – we need to do this. This is a true statement: Christianity exists to form community – and community itself is a life-saving remedy (see Sirach 6:14-17).
Father Jarrod Lies, Pastor — Monthly Medical Ethics Reflection