As we’ve mentioned on BreakPoint and the Point more than a few times, the United States is facing a crisis of loneliness. It’s one of the tragic ironies of our over-connected world… more people are lonely. According to the Washington Post last week, some major dating apps, like Bumble, have added a service for people looking for friends. The Post article also interviewed a professional matchmaker who charges clients more than $700 to match them with three potential friends.

And this was interesting: the people described in the Post story who couldn’t find friends said it was because others failed to check off their boxes of interest - a fellow mom; shared hobbies; same age.

And that’s part of the loneliness problem. True friendship—like all forms of love—focuses on the other. Our culture preaches self-interest, self-actualization, but no self-sacrifice.

Maybe if we’re the kind of friend Jesus taught us to be, we could offer the world what it’s missing.