Fortress of Solitude

Bridgepoint Church
Nov 6
4 min read

Pastor: Adam Sharkey & Josh McCammon

Introduction: The Crisis of Solitude

During Sunday’s message, Adam and Josh opened with a simple question:

“Which makes for a better experience on a two-hour flight — watching something, or having a conversation with a stranger?”

The majority chose watching or listening to something. That small preference points to a much larger truth — our culture is becoming more disconnected than ever before.

While some debate whether America is facing a loneliness crisis, what can’t be debated is that we are living through a solitude crisis.

In his essay The Anti-Social Century, writer Derek Thompson explains:

“Americans are spending less time with other people than in any other period for which we have trustworthy data.”

From 2003 to 2023, in-person socializing dropped by 20% — and among unmarried men and people under 25, the decline was more than 35%.

For perspective:

The average person spends over 400 minutes physically alone every day — that’s roughly 162 days per year spent alone.

And the cost is staggering. The U.S. Surgeon General reports that chronic isolation increases the risk of:

26% higher chance of premature death (the same as smoking 15 cigarettes a day)
Dementia
Anxiety and depression
Heart disease
Lower academic and work performance
An estimated $6.7 billion in excess Medicare spending each year

This isn’t just a health problem — it’s a spiritual problem.

The Struggle in Students

Josh shared how this solitude crisis is hitting students hardest:

1 in 4 teenagers report being very lonely.
Teen anxiety and depression are at record highs.
In 2023, more than half of teen girls said they felt “persistently sad or hopeless.”
Face-to-face hangouts have dropped 50% since the 1990s, with the steepest decline beginning around 2010 — the same year the front-facing phone camera and Instagram were introduced.

Students are longing for real connection, but struggling to find it. Some have even turned to AI chatbots to simulate friendship.

The cycle is painful: isolation breeds anxiety, which drives more isolation. But the root issue goes deeper — we were never created for solitude.

A Biblical Theology of Community

Adam and Josh walked us through Scripture to show that community is not just good — it’s God’s design.

1. God Exists in Community

At the very core of reality is relationship.God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — a divine community of perfect love.

“At the center of all reality, there exists an eternal divine community of perfect love.” — Leonard Vander Zee

We were made in that image (Genesis 1:27), designed to reflect His relational nature.

2. God Created Us for Community

In Genesis 2:18, God declared,

“It is not good for man to be alone.”

From the beginning, humanity was meant to live in relationship with both God and others. But sin fractured that community — separating us from both.

3. God Chose a Family — Abraham

God called Abraham to become the father of a new community through which the world would be blessed (Genesis 12:3).

4. God Formed a Nation — Israel

Through Moses, God formed Israel as:

A great nation
A kingdom of priests
A holy people

He gave them the Tabernacle and later the Temple, so His presence could dwell among them.

“Will God indeed dwell with men on the earth?” — 2 Chronicles 6:18

Despite God’s nearness, Israel continually broke community through sin and injustice — neglecting the poor, the widows, and the foreigner.

So God did something greater.

The New Covenant Community

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” — John 1:14

Jesus came to tabernacle with humanity — to restore community between God and people.

He lived in community — with family, friends, and neighbors (Philippians 2:7).
He built community — calling disciples and followers into spiritual family (Luke 6:13).
He affirmed community — teaching us to love God and love our neighbors (Matthew 22:37–39).
He commissioned community — sending His followers to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19–20).

Through Jesus, a new kind of community was born — one not built on walls or temples, but on relationship and shared mission.

Equipped for Community Through the Holy Spirit

After Jesus ascended, God equipped His people to live out this new community through the Holy Spirit.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” — Galatians 5:22–23

The Spirit empowers us to love well, to show kindness, and to exercise patience — all in the context of community.

“The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.” — 1 Corinthians 12:7

We are gifted and guided not for ourselves, but for the building up of others.

Community Perfected

The story of Scripture ends the same way it began — with God dwelling among His people.

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them.” — Revelation 21:3

Community will one day be perfect — no more separation, sin, or sorrow.

“The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” — Revelation 19:7

Instead of making space for God to join us, He has prepared a place for us to join Him. The broken community is finally complete.

The Challenge: Engage in Community

At the end of the message, Adam issued a simple but profound challenge:

Engage.

Commit to a rhythm of relationships. Just as we make time for exercise or work, we must make time for people.

Be intentional. Where are people expecting to see you?
Commit to your church. Bridgepoint is a great place to start. Join a group, serve with a team, or simply invite someone to coffee or dinner.