January 14, 2016 (Thursday)
“Lonesome Dove” was at first the title of a book and then became the name of a show. Its characters are beloved by fans. It was the fictional name of a South Texas town.
The town name, “Lonesome Dove,” was chosen by the author, Larry McMurtry, while he was visiting in Oklahoma, after he saw a church van from Fort Worth marked, “Lonesome Dove Baptist Church.” One story says that when the church was founded in 1846, a dove cooed outside and a lady said, “Listen to that lonesome dove.” Her words named the church. (One of the very first in Texas, the church is in Southlake, just northwest of DFW airport).
I consider the combination of words, “lonesome” and “dove” to be strange, because I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a dove all by itself. They always seem to be around each other, with at least two in sight whenever observed.
A few days ago, I observed a couple dozen doves on two power lines, one above the other. Then I heard a hawk’s unique and unmistakable shrill call. I was amazed to see the doves staying in place, perched on the wires. After several calls by the hawk, the doves began peeling off, like fighter planes in a war movie, headed for the many branches of the trees below. After a while, they had all disappeared into the multitude of tree branches loaded with thick leaves.
Could it be that the birds did not move immediately upon being threatened by a predator because they felt safe by being near each other? The more than 300 species of doves all seem to share that intense drive to be sociable with each other. The phrase, “Lonesome Dove,” therefore, seems strange to me.
People seem to share this characteristic. We are sociable creatures. We may not speak to the persons nearby, but we are somewhat comforted and assured by their presence. We don’t mind being alone for a while, but we don’t like loneliness. It is a very unpleasant feeling.
Webster defines “lonely” as, “affected with, characterized by, or causing a depressing feeling of being alone; lonesome.” Being lonely, or lonesome, is coupled with feeling bad.
The Beatles song, “Eleanor Rigby,” featured the lyrics, “All the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?” It’s a sad song.
As we reach out to lonely people, lifting their spirits, we ourselves are blessed and helped to feel better. That’s just the way it works. And, believe it or not, this simple deed is important to the Lord and is a way to serve Him. Jesus made that clear when He told us what He will say to us when we stand before His judgment seat: “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we [do these things for you?]’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40 NIV).
Every so often we sing this familiar hymn at church: “No longer lonely, no longer lonely, for Jesus is the Friend of friends to me.” And we also sing, “What a friend we have in Jesus.” As He was sent to us, we are sent to others.