Loneliness. By some accounts, it’s reaching epidemic proportions, and in America the isolation triggered by the COVID pandemic exacerbated the already growing trend. Don’t get me wrong: that’s not a political statement. My wife and I willingly and obediently followed every mask mandate and sheltering order imposed on us. We still voluntarily mask up on occasion for our protection and for the benefit of others. But collectively, we can’t ignore the very real health consequences of the widespread social isolation many faced under such mandates.

Yes, some people are introverts. I’m one of them. Most of the time, I didn’t mind having to work from home, despite the massive amount of work it took to convert all of my graduate courses to a strictly online format. Nor did I miss the long commute to my office!

But that doesn’t mean I could do without people — even if they were only an inch tall and residing on my computer screen. I thank God for Zoom, despite its glitches. And despite the countless times I’ve said “You’re muted” or had it said to me, I’m grateful to have not faced the pandemic alone.

We need each other, particularly when we have to endure times of suffering or uncertainty. It’s true today, and it was true nearly 2,000 years ago, when the apostle Paul wrote a letter to his friends in Philippi.

When we read the letters of Paul, we may get used to his style: the way he opens by wishing people grace and peace, the way he closes with words of greeting. Both represent the apostle’s own way of taking the customs of his time and adapting them to his pastoral purposes. The more familiar these things become to us, the more we may be tempted to think, “Oh, that’s just Paul saying hi and bye. That’s not important.”

But I’ll say it again: endings matter, especially for someone who crafts his letters with as much intentional pastoral purpose as Paul. So as we come to the end of his letter to the Philippians, let’s not miss the important message embedded in the final greeting. Here are his words:

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of the emperor’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. (Phil 4:21-23, NRSVUE)

After Paul’s letter reaches Philippi, the believers will gather to hear it. Some may not be there, but no one is to be left out. Paul doesn’t name names, but wants to make sure that “every saint” receives his greeting. And Paul isn’t the only one sending greetings: his companions, possibly including the Philippians’ beloved Epaphroditus, say hi as well. Paul then expands the circle even further. “All the saints” send greetings, by which Paul probably means the Christians in Rome.

But then Paul narrows the focus: instead of sending greetings from all the Roman Christians, he specifically highlights “those of the emperor’s household.” Why does he do this?

Think about it for a moment. How did there get to be Christians in Caesar’s household? We can go back to chapter 1:

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the progress of the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ, and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear. (Phil 1:12-14)

Paul’s imprisonment, to his delight, has become an opportunity to spread the gospel. With an ironic twist, the guards to whom Paul is chained have become his captive audience, and others have been emboldened to speak the name of Jesus as well.

The Philippians are anxious because of the persecution they’ve been facing from their neighbors, the pressure being put on them to stop calling Jesus their Lord, a title reserved for Caesar. Put yourself in their shoes. Would it make you even more anxious to know that the one who brought you the gospel in the first place was under arrest in Rome? Probably — unless you knew that this had become an occasion for the gospel to penetrate even Caesar’s household.

This is not merely “so-and-so says hi” nor, conversely, “say hi to so-and-so for me.” This is gospel encouragement backed by the providence of God. It’s a way of saying, I know you’re under pressure to stop calling Jesus your Lord and worship the emperor instead. But I’m telling you that people here are beginning to call Jesus Lord — right under the emperor’s nose. They know and understand your situation, and wanted me especially to convey their greetings. Friends, you are not alone.

Sometimes, that’s the encouragement — the en-courage-ment — we need to get through whatever trials we face. Yes, the grace of our Lord can be with our spirit directly, through his Holy Spirit. But that’s not all. Sometimes we want and need other human beings to let us know we’re not alone.

That’s why we do life together.