On Loneliness, Airports and Eleanor Rigby

The Beatles made us all a little sad when they sang about Eleanor Rigby. They reminded us that there are a lot of lonely people all around us. I am sure that many people reading this fit into that category. You may not be picking up rice in a church, or the subject of a funeral that no one attended, but you have, or are, experiencing loneliness.

This became very clear to me on Thursday as I was waiting for a flight in the Atlanta airport. I was not surprised to find out that the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest in the world. There were people everywhere. There were people walking, pushing, standing, eating, reading, talking, computing and almost everything else that you can imagine. But here is the interesting part, they were all alone. Thousands of people, alone. Interestingly, there seemed to be no inclination among any of these lonely people to pair up, or form social groups to cure their loneliness. Ahhh, look at all the lonely people.

Here is a thought: Most lonely people, like those in the airport, have chosen loneliness, at least to some degree. In the airport, most travelers know that there loneliness is only for a short time. There is someone waiting on the other end of the flight. There will be reunions, companionship and fellowship with other humans.

Others choose loneliness because a personality trait requires it of them. They are such introverts that meeting new people or spending time with any people becomes painful for them. They fear what others think of them, will say or do to them. Although for most people this seems silly, for the shy among us being alone is better than the anxiety of community.

But there is hope, even for those who choose loneliness. God has an answer for our alone times. He is with us. The Bible promises always that God is there. When we are distracted by the worries of the world, God is there. When we think that no one cares about us, our problems or our loneliness, God is there. When we know that we will be with friends and family eventually, we can be with God. When we choose not to associate with others, we can always know the presence of God.

God is not only out there someplace, he is also right here.