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"The Bible teaches us that people are made in the image of God, which means that we are made for relationships", says pastor Kyle Johnston of the Jubilee Community Church in Cape Town.
And because we are relational by nature, he says, we know socialisation is essential for all of us, including children.
It's no surprise then that isolation will have a negative impact on families, the father of three young children says. "I think parents intuitively know this, and the empirical research seems to be bearing this out," he adds.
This is one article in a series on the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on ordinary South African families. Find the full series here: Behind the Mask
So how does the negative impact of prolonged lockdown, necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, manifest, I ask him.
"As a parent, I've noticed how my kids have become more shy and reserved around others," he says, "and as a pastor, I am concerned about the impact of isolation in several ways."
Also read | 'The most I can do is also the least': A local dad on what it means to be a father in lockdown
Children's development
Pastor Johnston mentions two aspects: children's spiritual and emotional development.
"Firstly, regarding spiritual development, the lockdown has made it harder for children to engage with spiritual truths and made their church community feel less familiar," he says. "Spiritual growth was never meant to be a solitary endeavour. It takes place in the context of relationships as God's Word is not just taught but also modelled."
Regarding emotional development, isolation has reduced the contexts children (and adults) have for emotional processing, he says.
"Processing change, grief, frustration and anxiety is something we learn to do in relationships with others. Historically, this has been a normal aspect of everyday church life," pastor Johnston says. But he adds that kids (and parents) have had to process these complex emotions on their own or in the context of their home environment, which is good but limited.
"And so, I am concerned about the long-term impact that this disruption on spiritual and emotional development will have on children and families," he says.
Empirical studies try to identify wider trends, and one study has reported that children and adolescents are probably more likely to experience high rates of depression and most likely anxiety during and after enforced isolation ends.
So, pastor Johnston says, this is a genuine concern and something that churches need to consider carefully, and try to formulate helpful responses.
The parent's role
What about the parent's role in assisting their children through this trying time? Speaking as a parent, pastor Johnston says he thinks the most significant indicator is behavioural changes in the child - being withdrawn, irritable, struggling to regulate emotions.
"Instead of just seeking to correct bad behaviour, I would encourage parents to try and understand why their child is reacting or behaving in these ways. Sometimes, that is quite tough for a parent, so there can be real value in getting help from others, including pastoral workers, counsellors or mental health professionals," he says.
"I think it's about staying safe but also being creative and involved. With lockdown levels changing, different options are often being added or taken away," he acknowledges. "So we have to be willing to be flexible and adapt."
Also see: Four ways social isolation affects children's development and mental health
The church's role
As for how his church has navigated the pandemic protocols, Pastor Johnston says members have to sign up for Sunday services and Sunday school, so the "normal" experience now is a slightly smaller Sunday school class for kids, with masks and so on.
"We also provide an online lesson for those who don't join us in person," he adds. "I've been encouraged to see some parents get proactively involved with the online Sunday school lessons, which have helped their kids develop spiritually even during the lockdown. So trying to stay connected to your church community during this time, in whatever safe and creative ways you can, is essential.
"The parents at my church have been amazingly supportive and understanding through all this. I am very grateful for their cooperation and support."
Challenges
"One of the things churches do is provide a relational and spiritual context for children to learn the Bible and process life's challenges. This pandemic has created many challenges for us, and yet, despite needing church community more than ever, accessing one's church community has become very difficult," Pastor Johnston says.
He fears this lack of access will have a significantly negative impact on children.
"Many churches have tried to alleviate the isolation through streaming or recording sermons and lessons, and so on. Although this can be helpful, it can't replace in-person engagement," he says.
"Moreover, most churches don't have big tech teams or media production capacity, so online or hybrid options are often unavailable. I do worry that we will see the negative consequences of this play out into the future, and I am feeling sad about the impact of isolation on our children.
"The Lord Jesus had a particular concern for the spiritual welfare of children and so I want to ask that we to pray for our children as they experience these significant challenges," he says.
"People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
Read the full series here: Behind the Mask
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