From editorial project manager Mia Staub: I saw the movie Friendship with my brother a few weeks ago. Friendship highlights the anxiety-inducing experience of making new friends. The film feels like watching social anxiety’s intrusive fears play out. It jumps the shark constantly, and while it was not my favorite movie I have seen lately, I think Friendship touches on a conversation worth having: male loneliness and male friendships.

According to a recent Gallup study, 25 percent of men in the United States between the ages of 15 and 34 say “they felt lonely a lot of the previous day.” While some debate about the gender gap in reported loneliness, Pew says men do not lean on their communities for social and emotional support as much as women do. The reality is, loneliness is an epidemic, and the church can be a central part of providing hospitality, fellowship, and community to those who feel isolated.

I’m a sister to a younger brother, so some of my favorite articles CT has published recently have addressed male loneliness, role models, and friendships. Sho Baraka profiled Jason Wilson, a Detroit man living “in the liminal space between traditional manhood and the modern awakening of mental and emotional health.” Brad East celebrates Dude Perfect’s display of friendships among men as a model for his boys. Russell Moore reflects on his conversations with Gen Z men and their feelings of hopelessness.