Soulfood

Social Isolation and Modern Opportunities

Aaron Sironi

Social media (any computer-based group/community with interactivity) provides an unprecedented level of personal access.

This personal access still leaves us feeling disconnected and *lonely*. The pharmaceutical industry is spending billions on drugs to treat loneliness – not depression, but loneliness.

The thought of being alone is anxiety-inducing. And social media does not alleviate the anxiety of loneliness.

Anna Lemke research – cell phone use is addictive. The smartphone is the modern day hypodermic needle in the way it delivers dopamine hits. Loneliness is an epidemic that neatly parallels the rise in social media use.

Could seeking solitude be the cure?

Psalm 131 – “I have quieted myself.” This is David speaking! It is not the song of a peaceful external life. It is the prayer of a troubled heart, of a man who failed and repented. He sang songs of sorrow and pain.

Psalm 131

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

[1] O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and marvelous for me. [2] But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. [3] O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore!

The “weaned child” language has the sense of satisfaction and contentment

Sherry Turkle research – what it seems we are seeking, what we long for, is peace and quiet. To be unreachable. To be alone with ourselves. But the constant access that everyone has to us through social media trains us to be uncomfortable with being alone. So it not only addicts us to the dopamine hits of the social media connections, it robs us of our ability to be content with ourselves.

Psalm 131’s weaned child is with its mother, after having been fed, content and satisfied.

Bonhoeffer – Life Together (I read this book in college – possibly in German?) – if we are unable to be silent and alone, we will be unable to live peacefully in community. The time we spend alone before God – in solitude – fills us so that we can give to others. Solitude is not “me” time – it is time spent alone with our Father, learning to be content with Him.

And when we return to the community, we encourage one another all the more (Psalm 131:3) to give praise and thanks to God our Father.

Jesus regularly withdrew to lonely places to be alone with the Father. Jesus prayed Psalm 131 and practiced it. He weaned and quieted his soul before the Father.

IVCF at Rose taught me to value this solitude. We practiced it regularly – I remember Saturdays spent in “retreats of silence” at the Kokoska farm near the campus, or in quiet spots on the campus, which yielded great fruit in my life. And Jamie and I practiced it regularly the first few years of our marriage as well, giving each other time on Saturdays to get away and spend time in prayer. I will intentionally work on building these times back into my life thanks to this encouragement from Aaron!