Book Notes

Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting brief snippets from Randy Frazee's book, "Making Room for Life: Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected Relationships." These will be brief thoughts from the book that I found particularly challenging and thought-provoking.

“…in Genesis 2:18 the unexpected happens. After six consecutive entries of how good things were – the last entry even suggesting that the whole project was very good – we are not expecting God to say that something is not good, but he does. “The LORD God say, “It is not good for man to be alone’” (Genesis 2:18). What does this mean? "

"If God knew that man could not handle human isolation, why did he not deal with this up front on day six? I believe this is God’s way of highlighting for us man’s need for community. If God had created Eve up front on the sixth day, along with Adam, we might have taken for granted the absolute importance of companionship and conversation. I think God delayed the creation of Eve to drive the point home that humans have not been created to be alone. In other words, community is the only change order in creation. God is saying that he designed humans to require oxygen to live. By the same token, he is also saying that we must have community to live. We are built with a connection requirement." (31)

"Together, we are to give ourselves to loving God and loving each other. As a unified body, with Christ as the Head, we are to love others outside the community of faith in the hope that they will experience the love of Christ through us and even join us – because Christ’s offer is for everyone (Ephesians 4:14-16)." (31)

"The American Institute of Stress has conducted extensive research on the role of social support in health. The findings are conclusive, incessant, and staggering. Directly off the pages of their research reports are these words: “The wisdom of the ages, anecdotal observations, careful clinical case studies and trials, epidemiological data on marriage, divorce and death, as well as sophisticated phychophysiological and laboratory testing – all confirm that strong social support is a powerful stress buster.” (32)

"Two statistically significant mortality predictors that emerged from these twenty-two cases were a “lack of participation in social or community groups, and the absence of strength and comfort from religion.” (32)

“…it’s possible to be in the company of others and still feel isolated. Community specialists call this brand of isolation experienced by the majority of Americans as “crowded loneliness.” It is the most dangerous loneliness of all because it emits a false air of community that prevents us from diagnosing our dilemma correctly. We have exposure to people but not a deep connection to people. The truth is that there is a huge gap between God’s original design for connection and the way most of us live our lives." (33)