Yesterday in my podcast, I mentioned that we should practice social distancing, but should work to maintain relational intimacy. It was a spur of the moment comment, but it has bounced around in my brain constantly for the past 24 hours.
God created us to be relational beings. It isn’t just that we enjoy social interaction, we need social interaction. This is why solitary confinement is such a terrible punishment. Relational engagement is necessary for individual flourishing and the health of societies.
For obvious reasons, the spread of COVID-19 requires us to avoid large social gatherings (and for now, any social gatherings at all). Social distancing has become chic and necessary. But, just because you have to distance yourself from others physically doesn’t mean that you should distance yourself relationally.
You still need your friends and family. Your friends and family still need you. Rather than seeing this time of social distancing as a necessary seclusion, consider ways that you might double down on your existing relationships. How can you strengthen your bandwidth others during these days of loneliness? Can you use this time to invest in some old relationships the have fallen on hard times in the busyness of life?
Paul urged Timothy, “Honor widows” (1 Timothy 5:3). During these days of isolation, don’t only think to your own needs, invest in building relationships with those who may most desperately need them. I am married with 4 kids. Right now, most of us are trying to find ways to get away from one another, not to interact with one another. But, there are widows and widowers, single people, divorced people, and countless other kinds of people who are incredibly lonely today. You can’t go visit them, but you can call them or send them a card. You might even have your kids FaceTime with them. Double down on these relationships.
Remember, relationships are not expendable. Relationships are necessary and essential to human flourishing. Relationships can be difficult to maintain when situations change, but there has never been a greater need for relationships in our lifetime than there is today.
So, keep your friends close, even though they are far away. Call an old classmate or a childhood friend. Check on your neighbors across the fence. Write a letter or Skype with your mom. You won’t regret it.
