Modern life does not tend towards the cultivation of community. Boxed into small 鈥� but fully wired 鈥� apartments, or living in suburbs where we need a car just to go for litreof milk, we tend to live in our own little world. We do not sit on the porch to watch children playing in the street, take casual walks around the neighborhood or find ourselves at a nearby park bench visiting with neighbors. Our lives feel too busy for such time consuming activities.
However there鈥檚 a problem with this fast-tracked individualistic lifestyle, and it鈥檚 a growing health issue for communities. The problem is loneliness, which is on the increase across all age groups, and is expected to continue rising as populations across sa国际传媒 age.
The Canadian Medical Association recently published an that posed the interesting question 鈥� What Makes Canadians Sick? 听The conclusions from research cited poverty and the lack of education, but also mentioned the factor of social isolation.
In an article from discusses recent research that shows how long-term social isolation 鈥� and the resulting loneliness 鈥� tends to negatively impact the body鈥檚 immune system.
So what is the answer to loneliness? It鈥檚 not as simple as just 鈥済etting out there and being involved.鈥� It鈥檚 more about those one-on-one moments of real emotional and spiritual connectedness that feed us in important ways. It is taking an interest in each other, and sustaining that interest on a regular basis in local settings. Then we can come to know, trust and care for each other. These are the actions that melt loneliness.
A recent example addressing this issue began in a Victoria neighborhood. It was inspired by a group of residents who wanted a more connected community. They had a street party to build several small street-library book boxes, offering them to other streets around town. The idea is that whether you are a local resident or not, you are welcome to borrow or exchange a book. However, what the communities found is that these little boxes have become meeting places in the neighborhood. People congregate there, chat, share ideas and become friends.
听
is a government-sponsored website that is working to encourage people to become more healthily engaged in their community. Whilst acknowledging that local and provincial governments have a role to play with policies that promote healthy living, the site goes on to encourage us as individuals to also take some responsibility for this. The website asks the question:
鈥�Does your community encourage opportunities for people to connect with others through shared activities and interests? sa国际传媒ion to school, family and community contributes to good mental health and is the foundation for overall health and well-being.鈥�
Loneliness is not a new phenomenon, but it has an age-old answer. The example of the Victoria community book exchange project, and its inclusiveness, reminded me of the inspiring actions of Jesus. He included everyone in his conversations, healing them physically and spiritually, and re-engaging them with their community. A good example would be the lonely lepers he met who were abandoned by society. Jesus ignored the taboos of the day; he listened, touched and healed them. Thus restoring them to their families.听
Healthy communities come about not just with more money, better food, education and lifestyles, but also with a strong sense of connectedness and inclusivity. And if the studies are correct, this mitigates loneliness, creates healthier neighborhoods, and could contribute to stronger immune systems. And, all this from just being part of an inclusive community!
Anna Bowness-Park听is a Christian Science practitioner who writes frequently on the relationship between spirituality and health. You can read her blog at http://anna-bownesspark.ca, follow her on Twitter @bownesspark. If you have questions or comments, you can contact her by email at [email protected]. .听
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This article was published on Faith Forum in the print edition of the sa国际传媒 on August 10 2013
