By: Charlotte Chitambo

Dear Alone,

You are not alone.

You walk through life feeling painfully out of place, be it at school, work, or every place you set foot. You might be misled by what the world deems as ‘cool,’ thinking that your clothes or personality do not measure up to its standards

I understand and know just exactly how it feels to step aside and let a wave of darkness surge and swell and crash over you. You face a time when your own weakness seems so strong and overwhelming, you don’t know where or who to turn to. Every angle you face, you seem to be hit by a wall of hopelessness and despair. It’s a time when it feels like you are lost and alone, and the world feels cold and lonely. Maybe it even feels like everyone is against you

One advantage of being a Christian is that we know we have Jesus who is word that became flesh. Meaning that he had to endure circumstances and experiences in his lifetime just like you and I. Jesus, the begotten son of God felt how you might be feeling. He understands. From birth, he had to deal with jealousy from Herod who felt threatened by his presence. He had to deal with people that were against his existence, and people who would question his authority and attempt undermine him. Jesus even experienced despair when he exclaimed, “Why hast thou forsaken me?’’ You might doubt God’s presence or even existence because of what happened, or what is happening. This letter is a reminder that God is. God is there, God is here. God is in every moment. Therefore, you are not alone.

I constantly wonder why Jesus had to have those twelve disciples. He had become human, and humans need companionship. We always hear how individuals are not islands, clichés, but they definitely hold true sentiments. There is a Shona proverb that says, “chara chimwe hachitswanyi inda.” It literally means, “One cannot squash a bug with a single finger. One needs at least one more finger or at least somewhere to use as a support platform for the action to be performed successfully.” In the same way, we as humans need others in order to fully function or thrive. People help keep us in line, motivate us, remind us to read the Bible, and remind us that we are not alone. We should never be lonely when there is a world with over seven billion people.

So, you whatever your name is, I know that it is definitely not “Alone,” for you are not alone. Never forget that.

Lots of love,

Someone who hopefully managed to remind you that you aren’t alone.

Study Question: How should we Christians break the cycle of loneliness?