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The Damaging Effects of Social Isolation During COVID-19

The Damaging Effects of Social Isolation During COVID-19

Now that the election is over, I hope we can have reasonable and rational discussions about the various governmental responses to COVID-19 and their impact on society. From the beginning of this pandemic, I have been critical of the way various government officials have responded and dealt with this problem.

I have voiced concerns of an imbalanced media that has focused almost exclusively on a single data point – the number of positive cases and reported deaths – which has subsequently heightened fear in the population and allowed for excessively restrictive policies to be passed without calculating the health impact of social isolation, making it difficult to create an effective but also balanced community response.

Below, I summarize studies that have documented the negative health impact of social isolation on people. It becomes quite evident that certain leaders have made public policy decisions that are based on, essentially, one data point – COVID transmission – while ignoring the negative health impact of forced social isolation in their communities.

The Evidence

  • A systematic review of forty studies found a significant association between social isolation and increased all-causes of death, increased cardiovascular disease, and worsening mental health. The researchers wrote, “Policy makers and health and local government commissioners should consider social isolation and loneliness as important upstream factors impacting on morbidity and mortality due to their effects on cardiovascular and mental health” (Leigh-Hunt, N., et al, An overview of systematic reviews on the public health consequences of social isolation and loneliness, Public Health; 152 (Nov 2017): 157–171.).
  • In another study, researchers found that after controlling for depression, physical co-morbidities, age, gender, living alone status, employment, and accommodation that social isolation was significantly associated, to a degree that was clinically relevant, with worsening physical health and wellbeing (Hawton, A., et al., The impact of social isolation on the health status and health-related quality of life of older people, Quality of Life Research; 20 (2011):57–67).
  • A study of social isolation on White, Black, and Hispanic elderly individuals found that social isolation is strongly associated with physical and mental health problems in elderly populations of Whites and Blacks and worsening mental health in Hispanics (Miyawaki, C., Association of social isolation and health across different racial and ethnic groups of older Americans, Ageing Society (2015 Nov); 35(10): 2201–2228).
  • In a study of over 20,000 older people (58% women) from Asia, Europe, and America during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers found that social distancing negatively affects the physical and mental health of older people (Sepúlveda-Loyola, W., et al. Impact of Social Isolation Due to COVID-19 on Health in Older People: Mental and Physical Effects and Recommendations. Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging (2020) https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1469-2).
  • Studies have found that loneliness and social isolation alters gene expression in white blood cells, which decreases the body’s ability to fight viral infections (Cole, S., et al., Social regulation of gene expression in human leukocytes; Genome Biology 2007, 8:R189).
  • A study of over 3,000 adults aged 57 to 85 found that social distancing increased the sense of social isolation, which directly predicted higher rates of depression and anxiety, while social connection was directly associated with lower rates of anxiety and depression in older adults. The researchers concluded that “Public health initiatives could reduce perceived isolation by facilitating social network integration and participation in community activities, thereby protecting against the development of affective disorders [depression and anxiety]” (Santini, Z, et al., Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among older Americans (NSHAP): a longitudinal mediation analysis, The Lancet Public Health; Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2020, pages e62-e70).

This is just a brief sampling of the multitude of studies that have documented the negative impact of social isolation on health and wellbeing. The facts are clear: Social isolation worsens physical health and mental health and increases all causes of death. Yet, such mandates continue to be forced upon us with little or no regard for their damaging effects.

Additionally, the increased stress from social isolation and the worsening in anxiety and depression can trigger multiple other health problems, such as heart attacks, strokes, impaired wound healing, worsened pain states, increased inflammatory factors, which increase the risk of diabetes mellitus, obesity, and dementia.

Not only have these mandatory social restrictions contributed to health problems for millions, but many who already had chronic health problems have missed or postponed appointments with their physicians, potentially worsening their health and putting them at a greater risk of complications and even death. Others have suffered unnecessarily as surgeries of all types have been postponed.

The mandatory shutdowns of businesses have destroyed many family businesses that have provided income for their families for generations, and now these families not only have increased stress from new financial pressures, but their children and children’s children no longer have the business to provide for them and their families. The negative impact of the various governments’ mandates will be felt for generations to come.

While I am critical of the superficial level of decision-making made by so many public officials, I am even more disappointed with the Christian community for being so easily manipulated by fear into closing their doors and abandoning their mission to take the gospel to the world and minister to their communities in this time of increased stress.

Many Christian leaders have failed to remember that the primary purpose of the church is to promote the gospel, which brings people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ so they will receive eternal life. However, this COVID pandemic and the fear of death of this mortal life have caused many churches to pull back and conform to governmental restrictions on our religious liberty. Who knows how many people have died during these COVID restrictions without having received the gospel, people who would have been brought to Jesus had the churches remained open?

Jesus said, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26 NKJV). We could say, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains an extra 30 years of earthly life and loses his own soul?”

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the message of hope, of love, of truth – and perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). But the Bible says, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV84). The roar of the lion doesn’t directly injure; it incites fear, and fear causes people to freeze, to stop thinking, to run away, and to act to save self. Fear and love are opposites. As fear goes up, love goes down; as love goes up, fear goes down.

During this past year have you heard the roar of our enemy the lion? Have you heard the drumbeat of “fear, fear, fear”? Have you felt the pressure to isolate, to stay at home, to stop ministering in your community, to shut the doors of your church? Have you seen love go down in our society? Have you seen people more and more focused on themselves? Have you seen the arguments at grocery stores, in parking lots, “wear your mask, get back six feet, don’t walk down that aisle”? Where is the love, the compassion, the respect? Has concern for this mortal life eclipsed concern for your neighbor’s eternal life? Have we allowed community leaders and media outlets to so fill our minds with a worldview of fear that we have lost sight of Christ and our mission to fulfill His commission to take the gospel to the world?

What makes this even more incredible is that this has not happened with a disease like the bubonic plague (Black Death), which kills nearly 100 percent of the people who contract it and which killed up to 50 percent of the population in 14th-century Europe. No – this panic has happened in response to a relatively benign virus in which 99.5 to 99.8% of people who contract it survive!

What I am saying is this: The biggest threat to our society is not the virus itself; it is the fear we have allowed to take root in our hearts that has caused us to stop thinking, to focus almost exclusively on one data point, and then take actions (social isolation) that injure ourselves, our communities – now and for generations to come – and obstruct the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I encourage you to stop focusing on the virus, stop listening to the fear-promoting media, and step back, refocus on Jesus, expand your perspective beyond a single data-point, consider the larger reality and the impact of any intervention, and consider all of this under the umbrella of love for others, valuing the kingdom of God and eternal life over the self-first kingdoms of this world and temporal life.

***

For those inquiring about what I think is a rational, reasonable public response to COVID-19, it is to provide citizens with information as it becomes available and to allow them to determine the level of risk they are willing to take without government-mandated restrictions on liberty. I would recommend supporting any action that does not interfere with individual liberty and the gospel commission, such as removing objects that people share (pens, magazine, etc.), increased handwashing, making available hand sanitizers, stop handshaking (something I personally did several years ago simply because I was tired of getting common colds), voluntary mask wearing, voluntary increased spacing of seating, increased cleaning of common surfaces, individual testing for the virus when indicated, etc. But any actions that mandate closure of churches or businesses, or which prohibits ministry to people in need, including prohibitions on families from visiting their relatives in hospitals and nursing homes, should be opposed.


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Antony N. – Hobart, Australia

 

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Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 34

I was introduced to Come and Reason Ministries by accident, via a passing comment made in a bible study class we were visiting. I checked this website out and my life was changed. The understanding of the truth of God’s character, and how we apply it, is so right. The tricky part is consistently applying which “lens” to look through. As I began to understand, I started sharing the basics of this understanding with a discussion group I was leading and, suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense that never used to. At the same time, I enjoyed an amazing opportunity. I was able to conduct a full bible study at WORK! What an amazing experience! It is such a joy to share the truth about God and to share how it all fits in the war between God and Satan. So many people benefit when we have a correct understanding about how God works and who He really is! Thank you for this transformational understanding. Keep up the good work! God Bless you!

Tony P., CA, USA

 

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I’m a native Ghanan, but am currently in France for my master’s degree. Prior to this, during my final years at undergraduate studies in Ghana, I was introduced to your ministry and I’ve been immensely blessed by what you share, especially about the Design and Imposed Laws. God richly bless you for that.

One of the first things I did when I arrived in France was to buy all four of your books. They not only helped me, but those I shared them with. I shared the message with an atheist student and I marveled at how God worked mightily in his life. Today this person shares the Love of God with others and debunks theories of who God is not. I want to share what you present in your “Heavenly Sanctuary and Investigative Judgment” pamphlet, because the message brought rest to my soul and I live today as a healthy person.

God bless you so much and your ministry.

Michael A., Ghana

 

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Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

M.K., USA

 

Testimony 29

Thank you for all of your work to correct misconceptions about God’s character. So many people that my husband and I have talked to seem to be against the natural law construct and view it as “errant” and “dangerous.” Having learned more about it through your blogs and lessons, I don’t really understand why they view it that way, except that it means they have to relearn theology they have known for their entire lives. But I’m so excited to relearn this. For the past few years I have been questioning how I could trust a God who punishes arbitrarily and is full of wrath for those who don’t obey His commands. That view made me afraid to “mess up” or “not be good enough,” even within my relationship with God. I really appreciated the point you bring out about God not wanting us to serve Him because we are afraid, but because we love Him.

Melissa H., IN, USA

 

Testimony 23

I would just like to add my voice to the many people who, I believe, must have contacted you to express their appreciation for the “Healing the Mind” DVDs. I’ve been listening to your Bible study class discussions for many years and I’ve been personally blessed by your research and teaching about the character of God.

L. G., Oakland, MI, USA

 

Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

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Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

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Testimony 40

I was brought up in a different faith and have been petrified my whole life of God. I believed that I would burn in hell for eternity. When I was 12 I started pursuing the things of this world, but for the next 45 years the Spirit was always calling me, as I knew there was a God through nature. I could see the vast sea of stars in the universe and knew there was something bigger out there. Five years ago, through a Revelation seminar, I was blessed to learn about God’s character and government.

Then I found Come and Reason Ministries and have come under some extreme pressure when I speak about the ministry. One time a member sent me an internet article titled “Whats wrong with Tim Jennings?” I asked her what she thought of it and she said “I don’t know, I didn’t read it.”

I have always wanted to find out for myself the truth about God, so I stayed with the Design Law construct and have been liberated to understand the big picture. Once we consider Design Law, all other Bible stories and prophecies seem to fit perfectly. It is truly beautiful to see people grasping how God operates this Universe of Love and the liberation it has provided in their lives. It blows my mind to see how consistent Design law is with what our founders believed. I hear statements like “This makes so much sense.”

Tom W., Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA

 

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 10

I personally download and listen to each of Come And Reason Ministries Bible study class lessons and PDF study notes to use when teaching my class. Really appreciate the class especially when Dr. Jennings is teaching. Thank God there are persons like him doing His work and traveling to share His beliefs.

B. L.M., North Plains, OR, USA

 

Testimony 50

After coming into contact with Come And Reason Ministries, I can finally say that many of my unanswered questions have fallen into place. I discovered that my view of God’s Law was “imposed laws and rules” with “imposed punishments” and that this was the major culprit of my many unanswered questions. Thanks be to God for using you and those around you to help us who have struggled with this “infection” of thought. I have now rejected the “imposed law” concept to fully embrace “Design Law”… to look thru “Design Law,” instead of “imposed law,” is a relief.

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Testimony 41

I have been blessed by your ministry. I have experienced personally, and deeply resonate with, the God of love and the beautiful picture of God’s character that you present. I have seen your seminar series on YouTube, read ‘The Journal of the Watcher’ book, used your mobile app, and also listen/study the bible study lesson with you each week. I concur with many of the thoughts and perspectives that you share. I understand your conclusions on natural laws vs imposed law and the legal/penal substitution (incorrect diagnosis). This makes perfect sense to me.

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