Easter antidote to loneliness ‘˜epidemic’

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney
Media Release

2010 Easter Message
Archbishop Dr Peter Jensen

Easter antidote to loneliness "epidemic'

 

The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, has raised the issue of loneliness in society in his 2010 Easter Message, calling it a major social problem.
Dr Jensen said despite the many good things about life in Sydney, there remained a significant issue with human relationships.
He agreed with one assessment, which said as many as one in four people lack a close confidant.
Archbishop Jensen called it a social problem and a spiritual one.
He said "The Christian message is about restoring relationships."
"First, our relationship with God: that is what he was doing at the first Easter, when Jesus dies to take away our sins and restore our friendship with God. Then, our relationships with each other. As a result of what Jesus did, we are meant to reach out to each other, to care, to love, to serve."
Dr Jensen continued, "We are not meant to be alone. That is a major social problem. At its heart, is a spiritual problem and we need to seek God's solution through Jesus."

 

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Dr Jensen will preach at St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral, Sydney Square (next to the Town Hall) on Good Friday at 10am and Easter Sunday at 10:30am.

Full text of Easter Message Follows

 

2010 Easter Message
Dr Peter Jensen, Archbishop of Sydney

What's it like to live in Sydney?  Great. Great Climate. Great food. Great people. Great sights. " just great.

Outwardly that is true. But is it so within our hearts?

A Sydney psychiatrist, Dr Tanveer Ahmed recently claimed that in his experience our glittering city contains so much loneliness:

"Increasingly I have been called to patients, rich and poor, with vague physical complaints only to realise they merely want someone to talk to.'

He suggests that may be as many as one in four people lack a close confidant to talk to.

So, you can have it all and still be miserable.

The Christian message is about restoring relationships.

First, our relationship with God: that is what he was doing at the first Easter, when Jesus dies to take away our sins and restore our friendship with God.

Then, our relationships with each other. As a result of what Jesus did we are meant to reach out to each other, to care, to love, to serve.

We are not meant to be alone. That is a major social problem. At its heart, is a spiritual problem and we need to seek God's solution through Jesus.