Love that Shatters Loneliness

June 15, 2026

Francis Chan once shared a surprising story. People kept coming up to him, telling him how much his Facebook page and Twitter posts had helped them. He would smile politely and think that was nice. There was only one problem — he did not have a Facebook or Twitter account. Someone had created fake pages in his name using a picture of his wife. The pages quoted him accurately and posted positive, encouraging content. Chan never said what he did about the fake accounts, but he made this observation: “I don’t do social media because I want to invest in people I can see. I want to help them become disciples.” His words offer wise counsel in our digital age, where “not-so-social” media often leaves people feeling more isolated than ever.

Loneliness has become a quiet epidemic. In the United Kingdom, over nine million people — almost a fifth of the population — say they are always or often lonely. More than half of adults aged 75 and over live alone. Two-fifths say their television is their main companion. Loneliness carries serious health risks. It increases the likelihood of early death by 26 percent, a risk factor comparable to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day and worse than obesity or physical inactivity. We were created for relationship, yet many of us feel profoundly alone.

This struggle is not new. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was surrounded by God’s good creation, yet something was missing. There was no suitable partner for him. So, God created Eve. Relationship had begun, but so had the messiness that comes with it. Ever since the fall, we have spoken love in broken dialects. We long for connection, but we often settle for shallow substitutes that leave us emptier than before.

Jesus showed us a better way. In John 4, we meet a Samaritan woman at a well. She was a person marked by loneliness and shame. She had been married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband. She came to the well at noon, in the heat of the day, to avoid other people. But Jesus met her there. He saw her, spoke to her with dignity, and offered her living water. In one conversation, He shattered her isolation. She left her water jar, ran back to town, and told everyone, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” (John 4:29). The people came, heard Jesus for themselves, and believed. One broken, lonely woman became the instrument through which an entire village encountered the Savior.

Real love always shatters loneliness because it moves toward people rather than away from them. Mother Teresa understood this. On the wall of her children’s home in Calcutta hung these powerful words. “1) People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. 2) If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfishness and ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 3) If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. 4) If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. 5) What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. 6) If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. 7) The good you do today will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. 8) Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. 9) In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never be between you and them anyway.”

This is the kind of love that changes everything. It refuses to let loneliness win. It keeps reaching out, keeps forgiving, keeps serving, even when it is hard, even when it costs something.

Who in your life might be feeling lonely right now that God could be calling you to reach out to? How has loneliness affected you or someone you love, and how has God met you in it? Which line from Mother Teresa’s poem challenges you the most? This week, what is one practical way you can show love that shatters loneliness?

This week, look for someone who feels invisible or lonely. Offer a kind word, a listening ear, or a simple act of service. Pray for them. Invite them into relationship. As you do, you will discover the same truth the Samaritan woman found: When love breaks in, loneliness loses its power. Jesus is still in the business of turning isolated lives into communities of grace. Let Him use you to shatter someone’s loneliness with the love that never fails, and see God’s power become visible in your life. (To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).