Dear Family and Friends,

The good news first. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency.

The bad news is the US surgeon general declared another public health epidemic – in the same week! About half of the adults in our country say they’ve experienced loneliness.

The statistics cited in his report are quite staggering. For example, surveys show the time we spend with friends socially in-person decreased by two-thirds over the past 20 years. And that our network of close friends diminished over the same period.

This epidemic is not limited to just Americans. Both the UK and Japan have appointed ministers of loneliness. South Korea recently announced they will pay lonely young people $500 a month to re-enter society.

There are many reasons why people retreat towards social isolation.

But rather than talking about why this is happening, let’s spend our time learning one way we can deal with loneliness. 

John 4 tells the story of Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman at the town’s well. It’s a story with many lessons, including how Jesus helped her overcome loneliness.

What makes us suspect she was lonely? She came to the well alone, at noon in the heat of the day.

Why was she lonely? Why did she isolate herself?

Perhaps she felt ashamed of her past – five ex-husbands and living in sin with another man. Perhaps she felt rejected by the other women in town and decided it was best to just avoid them.

So what did Jesus do for her?

First, He reached out to her.

Jesus asked her for a drink, breaking societal rules against speaking to a woman and a Samaritan. (See John 4:7-9)

Second, Jesus showed He cared by offering help. He offered what she thought would be the solution to her embarrassing problem – coming to the well by herself.

“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” John 4:13-15 NIV

Third, Jesus acknowledged but didn’t judge her marital past and sin. (See John 4:16-18)

And when Jesus offered to help without judgment, she began to trust Him. “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.” John 4:19 NIV

Fourth, Jesus gave her hope.

“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:21-24

Jesus’ final step was to restore her dignity and self-esteem. And He gave her life a purpose.

“The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” John 4:25-26

She became the first person to whom Jesus revealed His true identity.

She also became the first evangelist as she rushed back to town to tell the people. (See John 4:28-30)

The story ends well for this once lonely but now restored Samaritan woman.  

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42 NIV

Mother Theresa once said, “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.”

Jesus reached out, offered help, cast no judgment, then brought the woman out of poverty by giving her hope and a purpose.

My friends, whether we are suffering from loneliness or not, Jesus offers to do the same for us.

Let us never forget that when it seems no one cares, Jesus cares.

That when it seems no one else can be trusted, He can be trusted.

That when it seems there is no hope for the future, there is always hope in Christ.

That when it seems there is no purpose to life, He reminds us that we were created for a purpose.

And if for any reason you’re feeling a bit lonely, please keep this close to your heart: Jesus loves you, always has and always will. 

In love always,