In addition to utilizing the Book of Common Prayer for personal and family devotions, I have also been using an app on my phone from Holy Trinity Brompton Church. HTB is an Anglican Church in London led by Fr. Nicky Gumbel. The app they created is called Bible in One Year (BiOY). It's daily scripture readings from Old and New testaments as well as the Psalms and Proverbs. Each day has a short commentary on the scriptures as well as a brief essay on the themes for the daily readings. Below is the essay for today's theme. It was too good not to share.
"I remember reading an article in The Big Issue (the magazine sold by, and in aid of, the homeless) called ‘Single Lives’. It pointed out that most people’s image of loneliness in London is of a frail old lady stuck on the 24th floor of a block of flats. In reality, it could equally be a young, fashionably dressed guy trying desperately to make conversation with a girl standing next to him in a crowded bar. Being surrounded by so many people only compounds the feeling of isolation.
Mother Teresa said, ‘Loneliness and the feeling of being uncared for and unwanted are the greatest poverty.’ Loneliness is one of the greatest problems facing humanity today.
‘The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms,’ writes Desmond Tutu. He continues, ‘We are made for complementarity. We are created for a delicate network of relationships, of interdependence with our fellow human beings... We belong in one family – God’s family, the human family... the greatest good is communal harmony.’
God does not intend for you to be lonely and isolated. Loneliness has been described as ‘a homesickness for God’. God created you for community – calling you into relationship with him and with other human beings."
You can download their BiOY app for free on your smartphone.
God bless.
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