By Pr Isaiah White
Psalm 22 is painful; it is written by David in one of his most difficult situations. The king feels alone and abandoned, not only by his trusted constituencies and institutions, but also by his God. All his prayers seem to hit a wall, and the Lord appears to have turned His back on him. Psalm 22 mirrors many of our own circumstances; there are moments when you feel abandoned by loved ones, and, most painfully, by God Himself.
Loneliness
Loneliness is a universal human experience, piercing even the most resilient hearts. It is the ache of feeling unseen, unheard, and forsaken. Psalm 22, a poetic cry of anguish, captures this emotion vividly. Known for its opening line, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, the psalm journeys from despair to triumphant praise.
Recently, while browsing social media, I came across a new business where people are paid to be conversationalists. There are many in the world, especially across Europe and the US, who live alone. Their family members are distant and too busy for them, and these individuals often find themselves isolated in grand mansions. Many disguise their loneliness through an obsession with technology and various gadgets, yet such ventures have only complicated matters further.
Due to the pressures of capitalism and the times in which we live, the number of lonely people continues to grow. This article explores how Psalm 22:1–31 addresses loneliness, offering a blueprint for transforming isolation into hope through faith and community.
So far (Verses 1–21)
Christians possess what I call ‘Spiritual Sociology’. By this, I do not mean believers socialising together, but rather the sociology of one’s spirit in communion with the Spirit of the Lord. Have you ever felt a kind of Christian emptiness as a believer? This is what is happening in the psalm.
The psalmist’s lament begins with a shattering question: “Why are you so far from saving me?” (Verse 1). This visceral cry mirrors those moments when prayers seem unanswered and God feels absent. The imagery of “groaning day and night” (Verse 2) underscores relentless suffering.
Loneliness here is twofold: divine abandonment and human rejection. The psalmist recalls being mocked (Verses 6–8), surrounded by enemies “like lions” (Verses 12–13), and physically broken (Verses 14–15). Strikingly, even his community, those who “see me stare and gloat” (Verse 17)—intensifies his isolation.
This section resonates with anyone who has felt profoundly alone. The psalmist does not minimise pain but validates it, giving voice to despair. His honesty invites readers to confront their loneliness without shame, recognising it as part of the human condition.
Ultimate loneliness
Psalm 22 gains deeper significance through Jesus, who quoted its opening line on the cross (Matthew 27:46). In His crucifixion, Jesus embodied the psalmist’s despair, enduring both spiritual and physical abandonment in solidarity with human suffering.
It is vital to understand that at the cross, God was deserted by those He came to save. To make matters worse, the sin He was dying for consumed His identity, and His divinity appeared no more. It is for that reason the Almighty God cried aloud, wondering how His own self could wander away from Him. The resurrection of Christ fulfils the psalm’s redemptive arc: agony giving way to victory.
For Christians, Jesus’ experience affirms that God enters our loneliness, transforming it into a gateway for hope. His cry of forsakenness becomes a bridge between divine empathy and human suffering, assuring believers that they are never truly alone.
Not good
The first two chapters of the Bible depict a world without sin, a world of only perfection. These chapters tell the story of the pre-sin world. In that world, the only thing identified as wrong and “not good” was for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Loneliness is not for God’s people; we are not meant to be alone. The greatest weapon of Satan is isolation. It is for this reason that the Lord promises all His believers that where two or three are gathered, He will always be present (Matthew 18:20) and that He will never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Psalm 22 does not trivialise loneliness but meets it with unflinching honesty and hope. It assures us that even in abandonment, we are held by a God who transforms despair into praise. By embracing vulnerability, trusting in God’s faithfulness, and leaning into community, we find that loneliness is not the end; it is a passage to deeper connection and renewed purpose. In the words of the psalmist, “He has done it!” (Verse 31), a triumphant declaration that resonates through every season of life.
