There is a Christmas movie that came out almost 25 years ago (ouch!), that is still shown and talked about today – Home Alone. It is about an 8-year-old boy, Kevin, whose family teases him a lot, so he wishes for them to disappear. The family, scheduled to go on vacation to Paris the next day, happens to have a power outage caused by a storm. The whole family oversleeps, chaos ensues, and as they rush out the door to catch a flight, Kevin accidentally gets left behind. The family is in the air before they realize Kevin is not with them. The phone lines are down due to the storm (no cell phones, yet!), so they cannot reach him. From Kevin’s perspective, his wish has come true! He is home alone, at last. After loads of ice cream, tv, and no rules, he discovers being home alone is not all that he imagined. Though not perfect, he misses his people, and really wants them back.
Ever since the Covid quarantining in 2020, there has been a marked rise in people participating in various gatherings via technology. We are staying “home alone”, or with only our tight core of contacts, rather than interacting with people with different cultures, socioeconomic levels, ages, talents, skills, work ethics, thought patterns, etc. We stream, Skype, Zoom, Google or Team Meet, etc. We often opt for this solitary method because it is so easy to be in the comfort of our home for work, social occasions, and even church!
Data shows there are conveniences and benefits associated with virtual connections: increased time and freedom being primary, as well as the amount of money saved from the lack of travel expenses.
Data also shows that as good as the “good” of our digital world is, there is also some “bad”: lack of socialization breeds isolation, the inability to focus, weakens relationships, impedes trust, and causes higher anxiety due to perceived expectations and communication misunderstandings. There has also been an increase in depression, addiction, domestic abuse, and suicide.
8-year-old Kevin’s joy at being by himself lasted only a few hours before he longed for human interaction – specifically, his family. The same group he labeled as annoying only hours earlier.
In prison, solitary confinement is the ultimate punishment. Society tries to come up with solutions for those who suffer from loneliness, then ironically, we participate in a practice that isolates us and sets us up for loneliness.
A definition of community is: “a group of people with a common geographic location, interest, purpose, or passion, living within a larger society.”
The biblical definition of church is NOT a building, as one would tend to think, but rather: “a called-out assembly or congregation”. In short, it is a group of people, or a community of believers. Specifically, a group of people called out of the world and “into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
When we eliminate meeting with other Christians, we may incorporate our mind and spirit through Bible study or virtual worship, but we leave out an important component: human connection. Christmas is Jesus demonstrating this human connection. He left heaven to be among us, His people. He is called “Emmanuel” which means “God with us”.
My brother, Matt, expounded on a thought by evangelist, Tim Keller: “Only if you are part of a community of believers (aka church), seeking to resemble, serve, and love Jesus, will you ever get to know Him and grow into His likeness.” We get to “know” Jesus through that community. God is so immense that with the (in)capability of our finite minds, it is impossible to know God fully. If we base our knowledge of Him solely on our individual frame of reference, God looks small.
The apostle Paul writes in his letter to the church (Christ-following people) in Rome: “I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” (Romans 1:11-12) In other words, when I share my God experience with you and hear about how God impacts you in your life, we encourage each other in ways we cannot or have not seen or experienced ourselves. Our view of God grows.
On occasion, being able to join church family remotely is a beautiful way to feel near, from far. Some circumstances are such that virtual connection is the only way for you to be with other believers, and in those cases, it is a gift!
I issue a challenge, however. If at all possible, especially if loneliness has found its way into your head and heart, strive to meet in person with other believers. Invite them for coffee. Call the church and ask if they offer rides. You will be surprised at the way the Lord will minister to your spirit through His Spirit living in other saints.
In the movie Home Alone, the minute Kevin’s mom and family showed up, Kevin felt love and connection that couldn’t be accessed by himself.
Especially for Christmas, don’t stay home alone! Celebrate Jesus in person with other believers. You just may find some new family members! And church family, be on the lookout!
