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RENDEZVOUS

Rural Isolation, Blessing or Curse?

by Dr. Gary Goreham, Fargo, North Dakota

Isolation — does it mean alone, uninterrupted, and solitude, or separated, segregated, and insulated? The word "isolation" has many definitions and carries a variety of connotations — some of them sound peaceful and positive; others sound lonely and painful. Many of us, in the craziness of our lives, crave a day alone for an isolated retreat. We seek out a rural setting where we can get away from the noisy, inhospitable rat race. We need a chance to be by ourselves, to be alone with the natural beauty of creation, to have a chance to think without disruption.

Others of us, in our isolated loneliness, long for the stimulation of other people. We feel trapped by rural, by the long distances between people, by the sameness, and by the narrow insularity of those with whom we’ve been too long. We need to escape.

Isolation can be geographic or social, and can have consequences for individuals, families, and communities. One consequence of isolation is its resultant narrow insularity, as described by Kathleen Norris in her book, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography (1993). She observes how rural residents "may start out regarding their isolation as a hardship that is worth enduring for the benefits of raising a family in a small town or in the country. But the isolation begins to exact an unforeseen toll, making them more provincial than they’d intended to be. They stop connecting to the world outside, except through the distorting lens of television. They drop subscriptions to national magazines and newspapers. Their curiosity about the world diminishes."

Researchers note that the loneliness, anxiety, and depression associated with isolation often involve emotional coping strategies such as alcohol, religion, or a worldview that focuses only on the present and the problems at hand. That was certainly the case for Ole Rölvaag’s Per and Beret in Giants in the Earth (1927). These Norwegian emigrants found that farmers on the treeless Plains, where not even birds lived, planted thick groves of trees "...so completely... that their houses could not be seen at all until one came inside the grove..." (399).

By definition, rural means geographic isolation (low population dispersed over a wide area); it impacts both communities and individuals. Providing adequate schools, medical care, elderly care, and social services is a challenge in rural areas because of their geographic isolation. Economies of scale mean that it is often cheaper and easier to provide these services in urban than in rural areas. Geographic isolation can lend itself perfectly to the development of religious sects and militia groups, who share a pervading sense of unfair treatment by the urban, political-economic establishment outside, feelings of lack of control, and ideas that are presented without accountability or "proof testing." And, geographic isolation can promote the social isolation of ethnic groups, who form rural ghettos, and the segregation of racial groups.

But, rural does not need to mean social isolation. Although geographic isolation is as profound as ever (in some depopulating areas, geographic isolation is approaching the levels seen in the late 1800s), advances in technology, transportation, and communication may be reducing social isolation. Depression among farm women was greatly reduced in the earlier part of this century when party line telephones were introduced. Despite the geographic distances between them, social isolation among these women was reduced. Today, similar changes are being seen as a result of advances in telecommunication technology.

What can the rural church do to reduce social isolation? First, the topic of isolation needs to be "brought out of the closet." We need to be able to freely share our feelings that result from social isolation and its consequences. We must listen to each others’ experiences with isolation and be willing to offer encouragement and comfort (check out II Cor 1:3-7). Not everyone will have the same response to geographic isolation. So we need to recognize how people in the congregation and community have constructed social networks of friends, family, and extended relationships that reduce the effects of social isolation.

Second, the congregation needs to take care of the pastor and his family. It can provide adequate vacation time for the pastor and family to travel and become refreshed. It can purchase a computer for the pastor and encourage him to enter the world of e-mail and the Internet.

Third, members of the congregation need to take opportunities to travel, participate in broader activities, and recognize their part in the whole. Send the youth on a mission trip. Send people to conferences, workshops, and seminars.

Fourth, isolation reveals something about human nature. We need alone time and we need community. Rural can offer both in a way that no other place can. Consider establishing a relationship with a city church with a regular visitation program between the people in your church and those in the city church.

Fifth, what can your church do to build community? Strong bonds of fellowship within the congregation must be built that show acceptance and tolerance and hold members accountable. Consider developing an "intentional community." The Homestead Act residential pattern seen in much of the Midwest (a house on each quarter section as far from other houses as possible) is not the only model for rural residence. Why not place four of them together on the connecting corners of four sections?

Sixth, community building also includes building "social capital" in the broader community. What can your church do to reduce the social isolation and enhance the quality of life for the community as a whole?

Seventh, stay connected to the broader Church. How does your church relate to other congregations in the community?

Eighth, come to the Rocky Mountain Shepherds’ Conference and share your ideas on how to close the isolation gap. I’ll look forward to it!