Author: Shane

The coronavirus has changed life for everyone.  It is especially hard for many that live alone.  Many people live by themselves for a variety of reasons.  The children grow up and move away.  A spouse passes away.  A divorce separates one from the rest of the family.  Some have never married or had a family.  The transition to living alone takes a little time but most people adjust.

We are programmed to be social creatures.  Few people isolate from the rest of society.  Many people live by themselves but interacting with others is part of their regular routine.  They attend church and go out to eat with church members.  They join a bowling league or have a membership at a local golf club.  They belong to a gym.  Some hang out in a bar although that isn’t the healthiest place to socialize.  The coronavirus has changed the way we are allowed to interact with others.  This has resulted in many people feeling lonely that didn’t struggle with loneliness before.

There are some things a person can do.  Thankfully, technology gives us a lot of options.  Call friends on the phone.  If you have a friend, you can call everyday that is very beneficial.  If you have friends on Facebook, you can use their video chat.  Facebook also has watch parties that allow one to share activities they are doing with others.  Talk to your pastor about having small group Bible studies using Zoom.  Join a book club, or start one, with friends.  These allow members to read and discuss books together.  If you don’t like to read, try audiobooks.  Those that do not have pets may want to consider one appropriate for their living arrangements.  Starting a garden is also a nice activity and there are online groups for that too.  Those living in apartments will be limited to potted plants, but the process still provides the psychological benefit. One can also play games online or with gaming systems like Xbox and PlayStation.

 If you are not in the habit of regular Bible study, there is no better time than now to start.  There are many online Bible study groups.  Just reading the Bible and keeping a journal of what your read, learned and how to apply it to your life is beneficial.  The activities we add to our routine during this pandemic may prove to be beneficial to us long after things return to normal.

I study human psychology. One of the most remarkable things about the act of murder is the death of empathy required to commit it. The thing that jumps out at me from the #GeorgeFloyd murder video is Derek Chauvin’s cold persistence in the face of the victim’s cries for mercy, for breath, for mama.

Did Chauvin not, at times in his life, cry for mercy, breath, for mama? For to persist in cutting off a man’s air supply for eight minutes when all he had to do was put him in the police car and take him to the station like any other arrest, he must have forgotten.

To understand this death of empathy, I turn to the index drama of the human story, the Cross. We see the death of empathy everywhere in this story. But let’s focus on Pilate, who, for legal, judicial, and humane reasons, initially resisted the idea of crucifying Jesus. Here’s how Pilate subsequently forgot empathy: An idol rose up to eclipse all else.

 

Pilate told them he found no fault in Jesus. When the people roared back that He’d called Himself the Son of God, Pilate felt his breath stop. That statement aligned with Pilate’s impressions of Jesus–preternatural, holy, innocent. He drew Jesus aside to ask, “Where are you from?”

Intuiting that in messing with Jesus he was messing with God Himself, Pilate tried again to release the Savior. But the mob cried, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar!”

They pulled the Caesar card.

That was Pilate’s idol. His position. It eclipsed all else. The death of Pilate’s empathy was a death by eclipse.

What idol rises up in the hearts of men who kill their fellow men?

What idol rises up in your hearts when you engage in softer acts of inhumanity?

No time like the present to reflect.

This article was written by Jennifer Jill Schwizer and published on her Facebook news feed May 31, 2020.  She is an accomplished author, musician and counselor.  Click on the button below to access her website.

According to a 2015 study published by NPR, only 25% of adults over 30 play sports although 73% of them played when they were younger.  The top sports played by adults are “golf, basketball, baseball/softball, soccer, and running or track.”  I am a runner although, I must admit, when I get busy I slack off.  Men are more than twice as likely to play sports than women although that gender gap does not exist among the youth.  By the time adults reach 50, only 20% play sports.  Lower income are half as likely to play as upper income.

Half of the adults that play sports say they do it for their health.  I know that is my reason.  A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity discovered the greatest benefits to physical activity kick in when moderate activity is done for 150 minutes a week or intense activity is done for 75 minutes a week.  That comes out to 30 minutes, five days a week for those in the moderate activity category like me. 

“This study concluded that there were many different psychological and social health benefits reported, with the most common being improved self-esteem and improved social interaction/integration, followed by fewer depressive symptoms.”  They found “sport represents a chosen leisure-time activity and aims for recreation, enjoyment and social interaction which promotes well-being. Furthermore, these improved levels of well-being are not associated with physical activity that implies compulsion which to an extent, housework and active transport do…  They found significant benefits of participation on reduced psychological distress for all types of activity with participants only needing a minimum of 20 per week to have significant differences in mental health measures”

Playing sports or exercising with friends is the best way to stay motivated.  “There is consistent evidence that club-based and team-based sport participation, when compared to other individual forms of physical activity, is associated with better psychological and social health outcomes.”  There is a caution here for those trying to live a spiritual lifestyle.  Many people in sports clubs are secular and self-absorbed.  It is a great place to witness for God.  However those that are weak in their faith can be lead down a path of materialism that will damage the spiritual life.  The ideal situation is to find a spiritual group of friends to play sports.  This will provide physical, psychological and spiritual benefits.

 

References:

NPR. Sports & health in America.  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (June, 2015)

Eime, R.M., Young, J.A., Harvey, J.T. et al. A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for adults: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 10, 135 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-135