My family and I live in “Isolation.” In fact, our meeting in Esslingen, Germany is a seven hour drive away. Yet, we manage to live in “isolation” without feeling isolated from our ecclesia. With a determination not to feel “isolated” and intelligent support of the ecclesia, we have effectively managed our circumstances, and so can others in similar situations. And this is true whether we live close by or far away from the meeting.
Stewards of one another
Christadelphians are stewards not only of the Truth but also of one another. We try to take this duty seriously. We encourage each other to regularly attend meeting to give and receive spiritual strengthening, to remember our Lord in the appointed way, and to find a sense of belonging.
And it make sense to do so. After all, if we share the Hope of Israel, isn’t it natural to want to be around others who share this hope? However, sometimes distance or illness do not allow us this joy. Alternately, sometimes even if we dutifully attend meeting, this sense of belonging can somehow break down. In both situations, members are living in “isolation” and surprisingly both can be managed in the same way.
Isolation means “To be set apart”
We does it mean to be in isolation? The term “Isolation” was first used in 1833. According to Webster’s, it was originally used as a chemical process of isolating something, or “setting something apart”. Of course, we know “setting apart” to be an entirely positive principle in Scripture.
“But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him” (Psa 4:3)
God is asking us to be “isolated” from the world; to come out and to be separate.
The faithful in Scripture lived “set apart.” Noah and his family lived in isolation (set apart) while building the ark. Abraham lived in isolation (set apart) in the Promised Land at the request of the Lord. Joseph lived in isolation (set apart) in Egypt both literally and spiritually. He was sent there by God to save his brethren. Who gave him encouragement? Who strengthened him week by week? He did not belong in Egypt, but in the Land of Promise and he based his faith upon this fact. He asked that his bones be buried not in Egypt but in the Land of Promise.
To live in “isolation” (set apart) was a common experience for many faithful in Scripture. Yet they were never isolated in the sense of being alone from their God.
Isolation in the sense of being alone
Another sense of “Isolation” is loneliness, and this was common experience for many faithful giants of Scripture. And some experienced it even while surrounded by other fellow believers.
Joseph lived amongst his family, yet he felt the pangs of “isolation” when he experienced the hatred and jealousy of his brethren. How much worse this must have become as he was carted off to live in “isolation” in Egypt believing he would never see his family again.
David, perhaps the most social of all the faithful giants, experienced deep “isolation” throughout much of his life, even when, for example, he was he surrounded by almost 400 loyal men and their families. He was amongst believers but he and they could not connect on some level. Many deeply emotional psalms were written during these times of excruciating loneliness.
“I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies” (Psa 6:6-7).
“Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed” (Psa 31:9-10).
Our Lord Jesus Christ was himself in “isolation” (set apart) by God to save his brethren. Yet often he was both in isolation (set apart), and in that deep “isolation” (loneliness) that wears at the very soul and marrow. This, even when his friends slept only a few yards from him. In the Garden, he was strengthened in his deepest pangs of loneliness by an angel of God.
What really is Isolation?
This suggests a problem.2 Is it more excruciatingly painful to be in “isolation” (alone) in the meeting than to be alone (set apart) and yet feel so wonderfully connected to God and to his “separated ones”?
This is the real challenge of isolation — to feel connected to our brethren and sisters whether we are local or distant members. It can be managed, but requires the effort of both the ecclesia and the member. The inclusive ecclesia assures that all members feel the fellowship that is experienced through the Hope of Israel. Members, for their part, do those things that help create that bond of fellowship.
The burden naturally falls on the ecclesia to develop an environment where individuals feel connected. With Esslingen being the largest on the continent, my ecclesia assists both local and distant members to feel connected and does so every week.
A connected ecclesia
First, it is a matter of the mind. An ecclesia needs to provide a warm, welcoming atmosphere. If we, living so far away, had felt unconnected while attending the meeting, living any closer was not going to change that. Isolation is not a function of distance. It is a function of feeling connected. So, by stating the obvious, an ecclesia needs first to have a sense of hospitality and friendship.
Our meeting begins with greetings sent from any member who wishes to be remembered to the ecclesia. They may be in hospital, are traveling, or like us, live far away. We send greetings from time to time to let them know that we are thinking of them. Simple but so effective at making members and the ecclesia feel connected.
Esslingen uses almost every available means to keep members feeling connected. A newsletter and study magazines are sent out each month. Consider the effort required to produce these each month, and to send them out!
Using technology to everyone’s advantage
Ecclesial news are sent via email every few weeks to distant members. Facebook is used to announce events such as Bible Schools. Distant and local members have a constant stream of communication from the ecclesia, all of which is accomplished by a relatively small membership. It is a shared effort by everyone.
And most significantly for us, they make available via Skype and WinAmp3 the audio feed of the Sunday Morning Service and the mid-week Bible Class. We hear the exhortation as it is delivered. We participate in the memorial service at it happens. We sing hymns and pray with the ecclesia. Through intelligent use of technology, we are present and feel very much connected with our ecclesia.
And then, of course, there is the telephone, but that needs no comment. Managing spiritual development is an individual task
Of course, the burden of managing our spiritual development falls entirely on us, whether we were local or distant members. At Esslingen, we are fully connected with the ecclesia in almost every sense. We participate in the memorial service with the ecclesia. We are constantly updated with ecclesial activities through newsletters, emails, and phone calls. We send greetings to them. We run a small home Sunday school. And we have all the responsibilities of any Christadelphian of Bible study and prayers.
It isn’t any harder or easier for us. We just feel the responsibility slightly more keenly. We are determined not to feel isolated.
Pay as much attention to local member in isolation as to distance members
We often hear of the dangers of living in “isolation”. Though real, we manage living in “isolation” because we are determined to feel connected to the ecclesia and the ecclesia makes is easy for us to do so. We are not really living in “isolation”, but we are living as “set apart”.
A greater worry is the member who feels “isolated” (alone) amongst the many. Remember Joseph and David. Ecclesias should pay as much attention to the “isolated” within ecclesias as they do to members living in “isolation”. David’s psalms show how painful it can be and the efforts that make distant members feel connected work just as well with local members who feel isolated within their own ecclesia.
This is the real story. The unconnected are more likely to leave the ecclesia if this connection is not established. The suggestions made in this article, based on my experience managing “isolation” with my ecclesia, can be just as effective with any member feeling “isolated” (alone and unconnected) within their ecclesia.
It is all about personally experiencing the joy in the fellowship of sharing our common Hope of Israel.
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