We continue our series of articles inspired by the Theology of the Body of Jesus Christ. St. John Paul II. In the previous article we reflected on a fundamental truth that restores the body to its true place: the body is God's creation, it is good and allows us to make love visible when we allow it to speak its own language. Thanks to it we can live communion, mutual donation and service.
However, an inevitable question arises. If we are called to such rich relationships - affiliation, fraternity, friendship, courtship, marriage - why do we continue to experience loneliness? This is the question that will accompany us in this second article.
A curious phenomenon
Many of us have had this experience. A party ends. The lights go out. The phone stops receiving notifications. And silence sets in. It doesn't matter if you have many followers on social networks, many contacts, or are in several social media groups. WhatsApp. At some point we all experience that inner feeling that makes us think: “I am alone”.
Sometimes that silence is good. It can be a moment of peace to rest or to concentrate. But when loneliness lasts too long, it can turn into sadness, discouragement or even lead us to seek the wrong consolations. An important question then arises: Why does it seem that there is a “good” solitude and another that weighs heavy on our hearts? Could this experience hide a deeper truth about the human being?
Before the first embrace
The book of Genesis contains a phrase that sheds much light on this reflection: “It is not good for man to be alone....” (Genesis 2:18). What is interesting is that these words appear before original sin, before human suffering. This means that the experience of solitude is not born simply as a consequence of sin. For this reason, St. John Paul II called this experience: “original loneliness”. A primordial state in which Adam was created.
But then another question arises: if loneliness can be painful, why did God allow man to experience it? St. John Paul II explains that this solitude was not and cannot be thought of as a punishment, but as a moment of discovery. Thanks to this primordial state, man understands who he is before God and the rest of creation. Adam gives names to the animals and realizes something surprising: none of them is like him. None of them dialogues with God. None can decide freely. None has been given the responsibility of guarding creation. In this experience, Adam discovers his own dignity. He realizes that he is neither a thing nor a mere animal, but a person....
The discovery of communion
If we continue the reading from Genesis, we find the following: “Adam gave names to all the cattle, to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the field; but he found none like him.” (Genesis 2:20). And then something decisive happens. God forms the woman and presents her to the man. And Adam exclaims with joy: “This one sure is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!” (Genesis 2:23). Many theologians see in these words of joy the first marriage celebration. Adam recognizes before him someone equal in dignity and, at the same time, different and complementary. And it is with this marvelous event that man discovers that his vocation is not solitude, but communion. Before this encounter Adam could be satisfied with creation..., but he did not yet fully experience the joy of interpersonal communion.
The first human embrace, therefore, reveals something fundamental: we have been created for encounter.
The remedy for loneliness
Adam's experience is still revealing for us today. When we feel lonely, we usually seek some kind of relationship. Sometimes we call a friend, chat with someone. Other times we try to fill the void with distractions: parties, social networking, entertainment... But often the feeling of loneliness returns.
Why?
Perhaps because loneliness is not cured simply by interaction, but by authentic communion: with family and friends when we dedicate time and offer true affection. In marriage when we live fidelity, mutual care and self-giving. In short: in any relationship where the person becomes a sincere gift of self, as St. John Paul II so often explains.
Therefore, when our relationships stay on the surface they may distract us for a moment, but the heart will always continue to search for something deeper.
What does real communion look like?
We could give many examples. All human relationships have their authentic way of being lived. But Genesis offers us a very clear image in the encounter between Adam and Eve. The text says that “They were both naked, Adam and his wife, but they were not ashamed of each other.” (Genesis 2:25). This means that their bodies expressed the truth of their love. There was no domination, no use, but mutual recognition and surrender. Adam saw in Eve someone different, but equal in dignity. Someone to love, not to possess. Someone to share life with, not to dominate. Their bodies spoke the language for which they had been created: the language of self-giving.
What does this tell us today? That when we experience loneliness, the heart is not simply asking for distraction, for escape. It is asking for real communion. It can be said, then, that loneliness, rather than something negative as such, can become a sign that reminds us of our deepest vocation: to love God and neighbor as ourselves.
So when you feel lonely, it may be worthwhile to stop for a moment and ask yourself: Am I living only for myself? Have my relationships become superficial? Am I making room for God in my life?
And after that reflection, the best thing to do is to take action: call someone to say hello. Ask forgiveness to whom we still hold resentment. Listen patiently to someone who needs to be heard. Or simply pray in silence. All these small gestures of love can transform the experience of loneliness. Because when love becomes concrete, the heart, body and soul experience their deepest joy: that of having been created and given to the person by God, not for solitude, but for authentic communion.
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