Friendship in a lonely society

Are you ever lonely? If you are, it’s not your fault.

According to data from the State of the Nation Report, at any given time one in three Australians are lonely. We move a lot. We are busy. We tend to be private, and instead of asking for help, we often go it alone. This is a lonely society.

You might have heard the Bible story about Zaccheus, the very short tax collector. He was lonely – partly because he was short, and therefore a laughing stock, and also because he had a deeply unpopular job where he ripped off his compatriots. He climbs a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus, and Jesus promptly invites himself round to Zaccheus’s house. The encounter changes Zaccheus’s life, and he gives back all the money he stole off people.

In this story, I see friend-making in action. Jesus isn’t just friendly, or polite. He doesn’t offer a pearl of wisdom and goes on his merry way – no, he makes himself at home in the man’s house! They eat and drink, tell stories, he probably stays the night and has breakfast too. And they open their lives to each other. From strangers, they become friends. And this friendship is transformational: Zaccheus gives back the money he has stolen.

There is no shame in being lonely. It’s not you: it’s the world you live in. But we are hard-wired for friendship. For actual, real connection. I wonder who else around you might be lonely, and how you are being invited to make a friend? How might you open your life, even a little, and let someone in?

Words by Rev Andreana

Image by Beth Macdonald