Loneliness

Loneliness is one of the biggest issues we face. You might disagree, but it seems to rife in our society.
Loneliness in terms of no visitors for the elderly, loneliness in terms of no-one being able to understand you, loneliness in terms of being surrounded by people yet not engaging in any level.
It is sad, yet amazing that the recent deaths of much loved celebrities such as Lemmy, Sting and this weekend Terry Wogan have united people in mourning.
I have to confess that of all of these it was the passing of Wogan that got to me the most. Someone I used to drive with in the mornings, someone who made Eurovision potentially watchable and someone who seemed to be 'Mr Children in Need'. I have never met the man, but yet there was a sadness within me that united me with the other TOG's, TYG's and the rest of those who enjoyed him.
In a fleeting moment you feel less lonely as the world unites, but sadly this is all too fleeting and then we are left to return to our normality.
It was on the morning of Wogan's death I looked out at the congregation here on Sunday and gave thanks for the friendships we share, across ages, across upbringings, across education. We are not perfect and there is still loneliness, but it's a loneliness we face together with Christ as the one who unites us.
It is a unity that does not wait for tragedy or someone else to instigate it, it is there wrapped up in our following of Jesus.