breakdown and repeated episodes of homelessness.” Sanders and Brown surveyed 506 homeless people throughout the United Kingdom who use rescue mission services. They found that 61 per- cent could be classified as lonely based on the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Also, homeless individuals try to alleviate their loneliness in unhealthy ways: • 34 percent committed a crime in hopes of being taken into custody. • 30 percent went to the hospital hoping to be admitted. • 27 percent formed an unwanted sexual relationship. Psychology Journal published a similar study regarding how urban Canadians cope with loneli- ness. Ami Rokach asked 266 homeless people who use the services of rescue missions and 595 people from the general population to complete a ques- tionnaire regarding the strategies they had used in the past to cope with loneliness. She found that homeless individuals were more likely than the general population to use three strategies: (1) Self-development and understanding: seeking help from a medical doctor, trying to make friends at social groups, and enrolling in personal develop- ment seminars; (2) Distancing and denial: avoiding social functions, excessive drinking, denying any- thing was wrong; (3) Religion and faith: attending more religious services, trying to make friends at church, and seeking answers to problems in prayer. Members of the general population tended to cope by accepting their feelings and using their circumstances as an opportunity to reflect; renew- ing old friendships, getting in touch with friends and family more, and going to more social func- tions; and increasing their activity with a new hobby or sports, and working more. Loneliness harms everyone it touches, but homeless people are especially vulnerable to its detrimental effects. Yet as with any difficulty people face, loneliness provides an incentive to turn to God. Missions have the opportunity to help free homeless people from the pain of loneliness. The place our society finds itself today—with a loneliness epidemic—results from many facets of living in a modern world. Whatever the causes, one thing is clear: We must address loneliness. God desires it, and our health dictates it. Ĩ WWW.AGRM.ORG MAY/JUNE 2018 15