Apartment Windows and a Lonely Crowd

I like to stand by my window and look out over the city. I like the architecture, and I think the lights spreading out over the cityscape are beautiful.

Sometimes while I look out, (but not very often) I see someone else in their apartment window. Usually the apartments near Moody are dark and empty, but today I saw someone reading and someone else watching TV.

I wonder what those people's lives are like. Are they happy? Are they content? Do they have real friends? Do they have the peace I have in Christ? If not, could I show them, if I knew them, or are they closed to the idea? What could they teach me about life, or love, or God? What are they passionate about? Do they like art, or fishing, or business management models? What music do they listen to?

I often wonder this when I see strangers. It's why I like to people watch. I see people driving or walking on the street, and I wonder where they are going, and why they are going there? Where do they work, and do they like it there? If I could talk to their teenage selves, would they be surprised at where they ended up, or are they doing what they always wanted? Is it what they thought, or are they disappointed?

I desire very deep relationships, much more so than most people seem to desire. Consequently, my relationships are almost completely much less deep than I would like, but that's okay. I think I want relationships that are deeper than is possible this side of heaven. I think that will be one of the coolest things about heaven for me: knowing fully, even as I am fully known.

Sociologists call this 'The Age of the Lonely Crowd' because people are more connected and in greater proximity than ever, but they are also more lonely and have more shallow relationships than ever. Some say this is why we have so many problems with depression or random shootings and such. I think it may be a contributing factor.

I was thinking about Moody and my church and my high school, and I think for most people in each place, they are lonely crowds. Lots of shallow relationships of lonely people drifting among the masses. Close friends are an incredible blessing, I hope you cherish them. I also hope you wonder, upon occasion, if you really know your friends as well as you think. I hope you don't have to wonder if anyone knows you like you think.

I think it would be cool if I met one of those apartment dwellers in heaven and got to find out the answers to my questions. I look forward to knowing what you thought after you read this article, and what you did next, and if you ever had the same questions. I doubt I'll know in this life, but I'm okay with that.