After tackling dating and marriage in our previous episodes, Kyle and Daniel begin a two-part conversation on loneliness, singleness, community, and friendship. In a culture where singleness is increasingly common, what place is their for singles? What does culture say about this, compared to the storyline of the Bible? Why is loneliness so hard and what can we do about it? Why is it so hard to find and keep good friends?

Sponsors:

Assumptions is sponsored by ATB Financial’s Entrepreneur Centre (learn more about Junior ATB) and the Alberta Podcast Network (this week we told you about the show Work Not Work). Check out the CKUA app, where you can listen to Assumptions and all the other Alberta Podcast Network shows.

Show Notes:

Our recent episodes on  dating and  marriage are closely linked to this two part episode.

We mention the recent Stats Canada statistic from 2006 which states that, for the first time, there are more Canadians who are “single” rather than legally married. 

Once again, Wesley Hill gets mentioned. Check out our recent interview with him.

Roald Dahl’s children’s novel  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gets referenced.

Kyle makes an annual pilgrimage to VidCon.

The cartoon that Kyle mentioned can be found here.

Daniel mentions Barry Danylak a couple times on this show. Stay tuned for our full length interview with him. For more information on Barry’s work understanding the Christian theology of singleness, check out his two books on the subject; Redeeming Singleness and the shorter A Biblical Theology of Singleness. 

Daniel quotes the lyrics to Paul Simon’s song The Boxer (recorded as Simon and Garfunkel).

The monastic organization that Daniel stayed with in London is called Servants of the Word.

The story of Hannah in the Old Testament can be found in 1 Samual 1-2. The prophet Isaiah’s hope for the barren women can be found in Isaiah 54:1-3, and the hope for the eunuch in Isaiah 56:1-8. 

Daniel read from Mark 3:31-35. And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:31-35, ESV)

Once again we mention the Purple-Red Scale and  our interview with Joy Beth Smith.

Kyle describes Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

Kyle also discusses the film Love, Simon (based on the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli).  Kyle made a video comparing the two.

Daniel describes the ending of the C. S. Lewis children’s novel The Last Battle and briefly alludes to the controversy of which order to read the Narnia books ought to be read (the only correct answer is read them in the order of publication).

Credits:

Assumptions is written and produced by Daniel Melvill Jones and Kyle Marshall.

This episode edited by Kyle Marshall.

Our soundtrack comes from The Parson Red Heads.

Podcast artwork designed by Chris Taniguchi.

Photography by Josh Boak

Assumptions is available wherever podcasts are found, including Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Soundcloud, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and through the CKUA app.

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