“One is the loneliest number” could have been the theme song lyric for many during the past year. Isolation and loneliness have certainly ratcheted up during these last challenging months.

Yet one is a number vitally important to God. Consider the parables found in Luke 15 signifying the importance of the solitary sheep or coin that has been separated from the others. Within these stories, it is evident that not even one single person becoming isolated and alone is satisfactory to God. These lessons emphasize the importance of the lost being found – even just the one. We should never be satisfied with our congregated numbers while there are those in isolation around us. God desires to draw attention to the importance of “the one.”

When paired with other passages such as Ps. 68:6 (“God sets the lonely in families”) or this one from Ecclesiastes, it quickly becomes clear that being entirely alone isn’t preferable to being in community.

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecc. 4:9-12)

As churches continue returning to spaces of in-person community, what are some ways that we can minister to the multitudes who remain in isolation or have suffered loneliness from the past months of solitude?

A first step is to purposefully commit to notice the people you have felt disconnected from or haven’t heard from or seen in a long time. You might even decide to reach out to someone you do not yet know. Begin a list of these names, then reach out to each individually. We should not begin this effort with an end goal of increasing the swells in attendance in Bible classes or church services. Neither should we begin with any expectation other than providing encouragement and love. Determine to truly embrace these precious souls as loved and missed members of our families. The purpose is to minister, with no other desire than to fulfill the Golden Rule.

I did this a few weeks ago by texting someone, expressing my interest in touching base and asking, “How are you doing?” Their response led to a longer conversation and eventually a lunch meeting. Afterward, they sent me this message: “That was the first meet-up I have had with a friend in over a year. Thank you for the invitation!”

In churches, we often focus on the numbers. How many are watching services online? What percentage of people have returned to in-person activities? How can we bring people back to our buildings?

Perhaps, instead of seeing the flock at large and contemplating how to fill pews and spaces, our emphasis should shift to the one. The one who lost a loved one to COVID. The one who hasn’t been in the physical presence of a beloved friend or family member for an extended period of time. The one who has worked tirelessly for months on end. The one who lost work. The one who is burned out. The one who is seeking. The one in need of healing. So many individual needs.

Determine to reach out to one person this day, this week, this month. Use whatever means of communication available to reach out and acknowledge that person is thought of, seen, and loved.

In the words of the song “Every Act of Love” by Jason Gray, “God put a million, million doors in the world for his love to walk through. One of those doors is you.” Let us be open doors for the “ones.”