More of us, internationally, are getting some form of dementia earlier. As reported in various media, a study published in the Surgical Neurology International Journal indicates early onset dementia, which used to occur in people in their late 60s, now is found in people in their late 40s. And it’s not simply a matter of better diagnosis; it is suggested the rate of increase must involve environmental factors.
While it would be great if we could just fix those environmental factors, it is a sign we need, all the more, to practise care for one another, and not just leave it to professional caregivers to look after our loved ones. It is remarkable how often the Bible uses the words “one another.” There are dozens of “one another” sayings in the New Testament alone, among them, in the Epistles, “Offer hospitality to one another” (1 Peter 4:9), “Be devoted to one another in love” (Romans 12:10), “Keep on loving one another” (Hebrews 13:1), and from Jesus, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
Our interdepency is not, however, just a “fallback” position for when things do not go as we plan. It is how we are meant to live all the time. Some things just remind of this more poignantly than others.