City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone;

-Genesis 2:18

Reflection

Today I revisit a topic I’ve addressed before. I hope you will not hold it against me. It’s a topic in which I have a rich experience, and I’ve decided, at the risk of being repetitive, to follow the age-old advice to writers: write what you know.

I’m assuming if you are reading this post there is a good chance you’re an introvert. Introverts often prefer books to people. If that’s you, I get it. I’m a high-functioning introvert, some may say an ambivert. I’m most comfortable alone with a book but I can also get on with humanoids. Maybe that makes me non-binary in the non-gender identity meaning of the word.

I thrived during COVID-19. Lots of quiet time. Lots of time to read at home. No high-stress social gatherings straining my relational skills. When people were freaking out about masks and cancelled church meetings, I was more objective and philosophical. 

I knew the Bubonic Plague of the 14^th century in Europe lasted four years; we needed to plan for the long haul, I thought, because we may have to stay home more than a few months. I was the voice of reason, untethered to impassioned opinions perpetrated by political partisans or needy extroverts. 

But after a while, something happened. I got lonely. 

I suppose I was not the only introvert to experience this unfamiliar emotion. I bet even hard-core, binaries hit the wall at some point and decided to explore the strange new world of the extrovert.

If you felt the same way, it is not your fault, but it is your problem. There are several twelve-step programs, but you don’t need any of them. What you need is community. Yes, you. And me. And everyone else created in the image of God.

God said, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). This statement stands in contrast to the six “it-was-goods” and one “it-was-very-good” of Genesis Chapter 1. Had God made a mistake?

No. He just wasn’t finished. He had created Adam, but Adam needed something more. Even animals who were tame and came when called were insufficient to complete Adam. Adam needed other humans. 

Community was not something created with the creation of Eve. It existed already in the godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  “Let Us create man in Our image,” said the Lord in Genesis 1:26.

Application

There are numerous reasons why community is important beyond our innate need for it, but I will leave that for my companions of cross and quill this week.

My task is to make this singular point: if you are an introvert, you are not alone…well, you may be alone, but you shouldn’t be alone, at least not always.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for providing an example of community through the trinity. Amen.