God told Noah to “multiply” and “fill the earth” (Gen. 9:1). As people began to do that, a bunch decided to build “a tower that reaches to the heavens.” They said, “This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world” (11:4). To this, God said, “The people are united and speak the same language…nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them.” So, He confused them by causing them to speak different languages, and, in this way, He scattered them all over the world” (11:7-8).
Here is an attestation to the power of a united effort by a group of people. It’s like the adage, “two heads are better than one.” And that’s biblical; God Himself designed us to understand and implement this principle: “None of us lives or dies to himself alone” (Rom. 14:7); “It’s not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18); “Two people are better than one” (Eccl. 4:9). In a former article we recognized the benefits of our finding “alone time” for positive personal purposes, and yet, forced social isolation can have severe psychological effects, which raises questions about the rehabilitative value of “solitary confinement.”
Psychological research consistently shows that chronic isolation can have devastating consequences on mental health. To truly rehabilitate those in prison, the focus must shift from isolation to programs that encourage social interaction. It would seem, then, that prolonged, punitive isolation is rarely rehabilitative, and reform efforts should prioritize connection over alienation.
“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” (1 Cor. 12:27, NLT)
“You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.” (1 Pet 1:22)
“Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone -- especially to those in the family of faith.” (Gal. 6:10)
We need to unite, pair-up or group-up, and together we can “get’er done!”
-John Driggers, Spiritual Advisor for Myers-Davis (1/13/2025, V7 #2)
To read other content drafted by John Driggers, please check out our Life Guides webpage here: Think of it this way – Myers-Davis Life Coaching
