In my continued exploration of loneliness of modern life in the United States, I offer this article, A Recklessly Generous Heart.

It opens with a quote from the venerable Thomas Moore, voted, at least in my head, the snuggliest of all theologians.

“We are all vulnerable on our journey and need the hospitality and understanding of others,” writes Thomas Moore in his latest book, “Original Self.”

Gosh, isn’t that true. And isn’t there such a decline in hospitality and understanding? The article continues to comment on hospitality as it relates to friendship:

“Whatever Happened to Friendship,” a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, reports that working parents in their 30s and 40s are so involved with career and family, they have little time to extend themselves to others; as a result, they have no deep, lasting friendships. “[T]he importance of spending time with friends is played down as an optional indulgence that steals scarce hours out of an already jam-packed schedule. People are saying, ‘It’s the one thing I can give up,’” says Jan Yager, a sociologist and author. “They’re diminishing the value of friendship.” They are not alone. Retired people, single men and women, teenagers, even children express an increasing sense of isolation.

God, isn’t that true too!? It’s not just working parents in their 30s and 40s. Try and plan a get-together and you’ll see exactly what I mean. And then the article offers this gem.

Hospitality is not a flurry of sentimental acts or occasional gestures. It is a sustained commitment to the belief that the way we treat one another day by day matters deeply.

Read the entire article here.