The Bible Speaks to You April 27, 1968 Issue

[The above is an abbreviated, postproduction text of the program released for broadcast the week of April 19-25 in the radio series, "The Bible Speaks to You." Heard internationally over more than 1,000 stations, the weekly programs are prepared and produced by the Christian Science Committee on Publication, 107 Falmouth Street, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. 02115.]

RADIO PROGRAM NO. 316 - "I am not alone"

Questioner: The term "lonely crowd" continues to have a meaning for many people today. Despite the presence of others, they feel alone. What do you think are some of the causes of this loneliness?
Speaker: There are many facets to this type of loneliness. Perhaps it's an inner discouragement, fear, or a form of inadequacy or insecurity. Whatever the cause, it can be overcome. And one way to start is for the individual to ask himself the searching questions, "What is God? What is man?"
Questioner: How do you mean that? What has that got to do with a feeling of loneliness in this hurried world?
Speaker: Well, just this. Many people feel that being with other people will satisfy their loneliness. But when they have got the people and still feel lonely, perhaps they're ready to look deeper for the answer. As the Bible indicates, a right concept of God and man is needed to satisfy this lonely feeling.

There's a statement in Isaiah that gives us great insight into the real nature of man as the witness of what God is. It says (43:12), "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God."
Questioner: Are you saying, then, that one of the cures for loneliness is to give people something rather than merely to be with them and have them give you something?
Speaker: Well, bearing witness to God, giving expression to what God is as Love, is not a selfish thing; and a concern with self is perhaps at the root of all loneliness. So an unselfed expression of the God-derived qualities, such as thoughtfulness and kindness, would open the way to solving die problem of loneliness.

Questioner: It sounds as though a man can't help himself. He is a witness of God—good, bad, or indifferent.
Speaker: Not good, bad, or indifferent. We're not saying to an individual who's unhappy simply, "Shake it off. Be happy." What we are saying is, "Be what you are. Be what God made you to be. Wake up from the dream that says you're a downcast, unhappy, lone mortal."

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