Blessed, Broken, Given—The "Good News" as Community

Never Alone - Part Five

On any given day, I can find myself in a classroom with sociology undergrads at a public university, or with graduate divinity students in a school of theology. Later, I am sitting at a table with a person experiencing homelessness as they tell their story at our community dinner. One day I am sitting in circles in an inpatient substance abuse facility, a tattoo parlor, or an assisted care facility, and the next a sanctuary lined with pews.

My students tell me stories of feeling lonely, disconnected, and overwhelmed. Some feel they are scrolling their lives away (and not keeping up with course readings or assignments!) The people we serve in our local ministry share stories of turning to sex work, theft, and intravenous drug use to escape the aching isolation. My chronologically mature saints articulate feelings of abandonment by their own families.

While the coping mechanisms are often vastly different, the underlying condition is the same—loneliness—and it is fatal.

The Surgeon General’s advisory report on the growing epidemic of loneliness has highlighted an alarming trend: the sharp decline in religious affiliation since the 1970s and its clear connection to increased social isolation. Faith communities, which once served as pillars of social connection, support, and purpose, are now witnessing significant declines in attendance and engagement. This shift has contributed to the overall erosion of community, leaving many to face the scourge of loneliness in a fragmented world (Murthy, 2023).

The erosion of these faith-based groups is particularly felt in the lives of those most vulnerable to isolation—the young, the aged, the brokenhearted, the marginalized. Faith communities historically provided a space where people could find belonging, purpose, and mutual care. Today, many find themselves without these vital sources of connection. The church, once the epicenter of communal life for many, now faces the painful reality of its own decline. Many mainline churches are closing their doors and clergy are leaving their ministries in droves due to burnout, compassion fatigue, a changing cultural landscape, and a structural mismatch in terms of denominational organization.

In the midst of these difficulties, the church remains uniquely positioned to offer a solution to the crisis of loneliness. The body of Christ, as described in Scripture, is inherently eucharistic—it is meant to be blessed, broken, and given to the world. Despite the church’s struggles, its foundational gift—the gift of communal life in Jesus—is a powerful antidote to the isolation that plagues so many today. The need for such community is great, and the church’s ability to provide it is its most potent calling.

Koinonia: The Gift of True Community

One of the most profound gifts the church offers is koinonia—a term that describes a depth of community rooted in interdependence and meaningful relationships (Philippians 2:1-3). It is a community where individuals come to discover what Thomas Merton called the “oneness we already are.” This is not merely a gathering of like-minded individuals, but a transfiguring experience where each person is deeply known and loved. It is through this kind of community that the church can heal the loneliness and isolation that so many experience in their daily lives.

However, despite the church’s ability to provide this life-giving community, it is often seen as a source of harm rather than healing. Religious trauma, especially in the wake of scandals and the abuse of power, has made many wary of returning to the church. For some, the very idea of seeking solace in a religious community feels like the last place they would go for healing. For others, the wounds of isolation are so deep that they attempt to fill the emptiness with substances, tech addiction, or distractions, creating false bonds that only deepen their sense of alienation.

The church’s struggle to fulfill its mission, especially in a time when traditional models of ministry and worship seem increasingly irrelevant, makes this challenge all the more pressing. Increasingly more people are disconnected from a faith community, and the likelihood of them walking through the doors of a church building continues to dwindle. Yet, as we are reminded by the angel’s message to the shepherds at Christ’s birth (Luke 2:10), the “good news of great joy” is meant for “all people,” especially the lonely and the brokenhearted (Luke 4: 8).

The Gospel of Communal Healing

In the West, we have collapsed the idea of evangelism into an individualistic and transactional understanding. The “good news” involves a single sinner intellectually assenting to some precepts about Jesus “by faith.” We walk down the “Romans Road,” we pray the “sinners prayer,” and voilà, it’s like magic… we are saved!

One problem… this is not a Biblically or historically accurate understanding of evangelism and salvation.

The church’s unique gift is the gospel message, which offers not just forgiveness but also healing in the form of community. The word sōzō in Greek, often translated as “save,” speaks not only to spiritual rescue but also to physical, emotional, and social restoration. Jesus, whose very name means “He who saves” or “He who heals” (Matthew 1:21), offers healing that transcends individual sin, extending into relational and social wholeness. In Christ, we are healed from the isolation that results from our brokenness, and we are called to live in communion with one another.

It is through koinonia, or true community, that people can experience this healing. The church, as a community of believers, is where individuals who have been fragmented by life’s struggles can come together, share their wounds, and find restoration in Christ’s love. This shared experience of healing is not just for the individual; it extends to the community as a whole, binding believers together in a shared journey toward wholeness.

Yet, for many, this kind of community seems elusive. The disconnection felt by individuals in today’s world is profound, and many are turning to quick fixes—substances, social media, or work—to fill the void. But these efforts ultimately fail to address the root cause of isolation, which is the lack of meaningful connection with others and ourselves. True community is not built through fleeting engagements or distractions; it is built through intentional, compassionate relationships that bring healing and wholeness to the individual and the collective.

Reclaiming the Gift of the Church

The church is not limited to what happens within the walls of a sanctuary. While traditional gatherings still serve as vital spaces for worship, community, and healing, the church’s mission extends far beyond these settings. Small expressions of faith, which we call “Fresh Expressions of Church,” are springing up in places like dog parks, community centers, recovery programs, assisted living facilities, rehabs, and even tattoo parlors. These communities, formed outside the traditional church space, offer pockets of healing and belonging in a world increasingly marked by isolation.

Every member of the church is called to be part of this healing work. The church is not merely a building or an institution; it is a people who are sent into the world to share the good news of healing, togetherness, and wholeness. It is in these everyday spaces—where people are living their lives, working through their struggles, and seeking connection—that the church can offer its most powerful withness. Community is not something that can be confined to one space or time; it is something that must be lived out in every corner of life.

A Call to Action

For those in ministry, the task ahead is both daunting and exhilarating. As clergy and laypeople alike, we must learn to show up in the lives of those who are hurting, to listen deeply, and to care genuinely. The healing we offer is not in our words alone, but in the relationships we cultivate. The focus of our work must be to connect isolated people into a community of love and forgiveness, one that will gradually heal our wounded lives and bind us together in Christ.

This one gift—the church’s offer of communal life in Jesus is the answer to the loneliness epidemic, and it is a gift we must offer with urgency. We are called to be a community where isolation is healed, where individuals are not merely spectators, but active participants in the life of the body. As the Apostle Paul writes, we are all members of one body, and we are called to bear one another’s burdens, thus fulfilling the law of love (Galatians 6:2).

It is time for the church to step out of the shadows of its past and into the world with the radical message of koinonia—that healing is possible, that loneliness does not have to define us, and that in Christ, we are never alone. This is the good news the world desperately needs today. Let us be the church that brings this healing message to every person, in every place, and at every time.

Indeed, the body of Christ is eucharistic, (from Greek eukharistia “thanksgiving, gratitude”). The Lord’s Supper is a meal of eukharistos or kharis “grace” that is joyfully given to all the world.

While our denominational and congregational impulse is self-preservation, the way of Jesus is self-donation.

We are to be blessed, broken, and given. The offering of communal life is an ultimate act of gratitude.

In a world that is increasingly lonely, the church has the unique opportunity to disrupt the epidemic of isolation. The gift of community in Jesus is not just something we receive; it is something we are called to give away. Our healing is inextricably linked to our own self-giving. The healing we need is found together, in Christ, in the community of believers. Let us offer this one unique gift to a world in desperate need of healing… the gift of communal life in Jesus.

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