Connection

Today's post comes from the work that I do in running a 501c3 public charity. My work revolves around connecting to others to share the vision of Possibilities Journey, Inc (www.possjrny.org) to co-create a new and more integrated public health system. To do this we will be attempting to build on the success of Memphis' Congregational Health Network: https://secure.lebonheur.org/methodist/About%20Us/Faith%20and%20Health/Community. I strongly encourage you all to take a look at that link as it is a phenomenal program with tremendous potential.

To the topic at hand, however, connections are the life bood of who we are as people. None of us feels right when we're isolated. In fact, isolation and loneliness are two of the biggest spiritual aspects of illness that have been described. If you will, these issues are pandemic and if they were "bird flu" or H1N1, they would have sparked a flurry of activity to develop medicines to treat them. As it is, there are no "pills for these ills" and there is no outcry, because isolated and lonely people are not connected so they suffer in anonymity. It's really beyond tragic.

Without connections to others, and without relationships that are healthy and spiritually nourishing, our sense of well being decreases while our sense of brokenness increases. We become hermits who are ill-at-ease in almost any public situation. I had a conversation with a person yesterday who stated that even returning to church, while it felt "good", because this person was divorced and alone, there was a sense that this person should just huddle in a corner of the pew. Hmmm, lack of connection to a healthy community that could invite this fellow traveler into right relationship on the person's own merits, not on whether or not there was a spouse and family. Isolated in the midst of a 1300 member congregation - something's just wrong.

Right relationships heal, lack of right relationships destroy and alienate. How are we called as human beings to create right relationships that promote and provide health, wellness and wholeness? We at Possibilities Journey, Inc believe that it is the re-integration of faith communities into the public health system.

Consider your connections this week - are they strong and life-giving? If not, how are you called to create right relationships?

Peace,
Dan