God is in the process of building a loving family—not a scattered race of hermits. We were made to have deep, caring friendships with our physical and spiritual family members. God designed us to have the feeling of loneliness as a warning signal that we are insufficiently connected to our fellow human beings. It's not sinful to feel lonely—but it's meant to motivate us to change, not something that must be sacrificially endured.

We were not made for isolation from human contact, but for deep, intimate relationships (Genesis 2:18).

As Christians, we are to love one another as family (Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 3:8; 1 John 4:7, 11). Our connectedness to Christ and each other is likened to being various parts of one human body (Ephesians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26), and Paul specifically points out that we need each other (1 Corinthians 12:21).

The notion that we should be isolated from human relationships and relate only to God comes from the gnostic notion that the physical universe is evil and that to attain a higher spirituality we have to disconnect from the material world and concentrate purely on God. This idea prevents healing in Christians who desperately need to grow in their ability to relate to others.

Christ lived among us, and suffered as a human being, so that He could experience firsthand what it is like for us. He gained a deeper dimension of compassion for us through this experience (Hebrews 4:15; 5:8). By learning to deeply love others and have compassion for them, we grow in one of God's most important character traits. This is one reason for the existence of the Church (Romans 1:12; 2 Corinthians 1:4).

God does not do everything Himself. He gives us opportunities to participate in what He is doing and to grow in His ways—by working through us (2 Corinthians 7:6).
Learning to love others is part of learning to love God (1 John 4:20).

We were made for deep, satisfying friendships—with God and our fellow human beings.

— Jay Turner
San Jose, California, congregation