When I gave him freedom to express himself, he said, “Well,
preacher, I guess I’ll need to get back to church. I’m even thinking about
returning to that men’s Bible study class I used to attend.” “Why is that?”
I responded, in my best client-centered counseling style. He looked at me as if
this should have been evident to any man of the cloth and nearly shouted, “I’ll
need someone to carry my casket when I die!”
Long ago, I was taught that religiosity persists when it provides
either meaning or belonging or both. I recalled this anecdote recently when I
heard the report of new research on the impact of loneliness and social
isolation on human health (http://www.wbur.org/npr/175283008/maybe-isolation-not-loneliness-shortens-life). Scholars
at University College, London based their work on a substantial body of research
which has long shown that both loneliness
and infrequent human contact can shorten one’s life and actually make one sick.
The scientists expected to find that, when combined, these two risk factors
would be especially dangerous.Researcher Andrew Steptoe reported a surprising conclusion to his study: “Both social isolation and loneliness appeared initially to be associated with a greater risk of dying. But, it was really the isolation which was more important.” While persons with greater levels of loneliness are apparently more likely to die, it is also true that they are more likely to have other risk factors, like being poor and having chronic health problems. When these factors are controlled, however, the added risk associated with being lonely disappears, according to Steptoe’s research.
On the other hand, people who invest less time with family or friends or at meaningful social events are significantly more likely to die, regardless of income or health status. While it is a fact that loneliness among the aged hurts, actual social isolation is much more likely to kill!
If every person defines loneliness differently, it is also true that individuals have
varying tolerances for it. Self-definitions of loneliness may be changing in the Internet age. Social isolation, on the other hand, is a
more stable and more easily defined social reality, less influenced by
subjective definition, remaining far more powerful. The rise of social
networking may tempt some to believe that they are connected with others; thus, they are less likely to report
themselves as lonely. But the lack of
actual, human-to-human social intercourse, no matter how temporarily obscured
by electronic connectivity, remains a powerful detriment to human well-being.
Lack of meaningful interaction with others seems to be a causative factor in increases
in both mortality and morbidity.
Miraculous drugs promise longer lifespans and contemporary
cyber capacity may impart a fleeting sense of community and connective relief
from isolation and loneliness. It remains true, however,
that nothing enhances life’s health like ongoing, actual and affirming interactions
with human beings around significant shared world views. Obviously, interacting
with real persons in a supportive atmosphere has practical benefits; it can
provide assistance in such everyday aging concerns as monitoring health
symptoms, securing attention by health professionals and finding meaningful
pursuits that help one to focus on other than personal problems. But something
else seems to be at work here. Actual social interaction appears to enhance
overall health and to encourage the will to live.
So, in the final analysis, lining up potential pall
bearers may not be the only reason to return to church in one’s golden years. Early in the Bible, we are
told that “It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18a, NIV) Beyond
the comfort of beliefs about the hereafter, the reflection on life’s (and
death’s) absolutes and the investment in meaningful causes and younger generations, seniors may actually receive many here-and-now blessings by
regular social interaction through church worship attendance and even by returning
to Sunday School!
See you at church next Sunday!
