A Reflection on Loneliness
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
(ψ 25.16).
Spiderman is currently the toast of the town. We all know that the cinema business hasn’t been the same since covid, but there are certain IPs, or characters that break the mold, and Spiderman is certainly one of them. Spiderman: Brand New Day has already grossed over $1.8 billion in the global box office. It is also the fasted film in history to earn over $700 million domestically, reaching that landmark in just 13 days. All that to say, everyone is going out to see Spiderman.
The latest Spidey adventure finds Peter Parker in a crippling state of isolation and loneliness (no spoilers, in case anyone hasn’t seen it yet). Loneliness is a universal human experience. In 2023 the United States Surgeon General released an advisory called, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.”[1] A 2025 survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that more than 50% of American adults reported signs of loneliness:
“Half of adults in the U.S. reported feelings of emotional disconnection, saying they have felt isolated from others (54%), felt left out (50%), or have lacked companionship (50%) often or some of the time, suggesting loneliness may have become a defining feature of life in America.”[2]
Loneliness is nothing new. In fact, loneliness is as old as humanity. After God created Adam and before He created Eve, yhwh declared, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen 2.18). Nowhere in Scripture is the range of human emotion – including loneliness – on display more clearly than in the Psalter.
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, King David penned the 25th Psalm. The ESV footnote 1 enlightens English readers that “this psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.” Like Psalm 119, such literary devices would’ve not only helped ancient believers and their children memorize this song, but there is theological meaning even in the structure. King David cleverly teaches that, though this poem derives from his own experience, the lyrics are universal - this is an A-Z experience (or more literally an תּ - א experience). Every human being is a sinner who needs salvation through the grace and forgiveness of God.
In verse 16 we’re reminded that everyone experiences loneliness. The psalmist asks God to turn to him and be gracious to him because he is lonely. The Hebrew word translated lonely is יָחִיד (yā·ḥîḏ). It means, “lonely, alone, i.e., pertaining to being in a solitary place and so isolated and in a state of anxiety.”[3] Loneliness and isolation like David experienced – and like we all experience – can be the result of our sin, or because of the sin of others, or sometimes because of a new environment, or any number of factors, but regardless of the circumstance, loneliness is painful.
There is much we can learn – from Scripture and relationship experts – about how to overcome loneliness in friendships and community, but Psalm 25 gives us the true starting point. Verse 14 says:
The friendship of yhwh is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
Friendship with God is the initial and most important cure for the loneliness of the soul. Through the good news of the Lord Jesus – His life, death, and resurrection – we become friends with God; we become members of the New Covenant of Jesus; we learn to fear the Lord, meaning we trust Christ and repent of our sin.
Through God’s Word, the sacraments, and prayer, we have fellowship with our triune creator God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we have fellowship with each other within the church. Have you ever heard the saying, “If he’s a friend of X, he’s a friend of mine?” That’s kind of what church is – we’re all friends of God in Christ and that makes us friends with each other!
Friendship with God means we lift our soul to Him (vs. 1). We trust in His Son Jesus, and we will not be put to shame (vs. 2). Friendship with God means He teaches us (vs. 4) and He leads us in His truth because He is the God of our salvation (vs. 5). And on and on the psalm goes with good news about what it means to be friends with God. If you’re struggling with loneliness right now, try reading through Psalm 25, pray through it, read it through the lens of the gospel and what that means for the church.
We can be friends with God because 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ was lonely for us. Not only was Christ abandoned by his disciples and friends, but on the cross Jesus experienced God-forsaken loneliness so that we don’t have to. The Father turned His face away from Jesus on the cross so that He will never have to turn His face away from you. And that’s why Jesus is a friend of sinners.
[1]https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
[2]https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/stress-in-america/2025
[3]Swanson, J. (1997). In Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Logos Research Systems, Inc.