In 1949, Hank Williams, Sr. wrote a song called I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry. When this song first hit the airwaves, less than 10 percent of homes contained only one person. But today? On your street? One in four of the homes on your street is occupied by one person living alone. Of course, being alone is not the same as loneliness… but throw in a pandemic and some lockdowns, and loneliness is on the rise on your block and around the world.  

That’s why your next Love Your Neighbor Challenge is to call a neighbor who lives alone.

Perhaps he’s an elderly widower whose nights are long. Perhaps she’s a single executive who works long hours. Perhaps she enjoys her solitude… and perhaps she needs a friend.

This is the brilliance of Christ’s #2 Command to love our neighbor. If each one loves one, we can end the pandemic of loneliness that is literally killing us. Lonely people:

• Are more likely to be obese and less likely to exercise. 
• Are more likely to experience memory loss, dementia, inflammation, depression, sleep disorders, and heart conditions.
• Are less likely to survive surgery.
• Have increased levels of stress hormones.
• Have a shorter life expectancy.

You hold the cure in the palm of your hand. 

Here are some simple conversation starters –

Instead of vague questions, Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly in Chicago recommends you ask specific questions during extremely cold weather:

• “Is your heat working?”
• “Are you warm enough?”
• “Do you have enough food to get through the next few days?”
• “Are you dressing in layers?

FAQ