A government minister of what? For the Colson Center, I’m John Stonestreet with The Point.

Over a century ago, Abraham Kuyper introduced the concept of sphere sovereignty: the idea that God has ordained each institution and its creation—government, church, family, etc, to operate within certain boundaries of authority.

Now these days, of all the institutions, the government is most likely to overstep its boundaries, especially when other institutions have ceded the field.

In Britain, for example, the government has now established a “minister of loneliness” to combat a serious and growing health problem. And loneliness is a serious and growing health problem in the West.  Loneliness is serious: it can lead to a greater risk of depression, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, and dementia. It’s no wonder that in our iPhone age the problem is getting worse.

But folks, why isn’t there a “minister of loneliness” in St. Dunstan’s Anglican Church? Or at First Baptist here at home?

I’m not pooh-poohing the British government’s sincere efforts, but no government is equipped to fight loneliness. The church, however, is. We’ve got the answer for the lonely: an invitation to fellowship, and to the wedding supper of the Lamb. So let’s extend that invitation.