The English poet John Donne wrote many famous poems, but the one most people likely know by name is “No Man Is an Island.” The famous title is often quoted as a maxim about how each and every person needs other people in his or her life. Such an instinct may run contrary to the American predisposition towards rugged individualism, but it obviously is true.

Leaving aside the obvious fact that none of us would exist were it not for our parents, we also all depend on others for food, clothing, shelter, and the myriad other aspects of modern life. Even those who opt to live a secluded, unplugged life have had to be trained by others on how to survive the elements. Perhaps most important of all, however, is the fact that we need other people to engage in conversation and to help make us more completely human through socialization.

Now it may initially seem like the idea that we need one another is just a simple statement of reality, but it actually points to a great theological truth. Human beings have been made in the image of God, who is himself a trinity of persons. Thus, if God exists as a communion of persons, we who bear his image must also live in a community. For this reason, Catholic social teaching emphasizes the centrality of relationships in society. “The human being is a personal being created by God to be in a relationship with him,” we read in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Fundamentally, nobody is an island because we are always called by God towards Heaven, but the path to Heaven will never be walked alone.  The Church’s social teaching also reminds us that our relationship with God must be reflected in our social life and the way we organize society.

In his beautiful encyclical letter Evangelium vitae, Pope St. John Paul II offers a passing comment on Adam’s dissatisfaction in Eden until Eve is created. “Only the appearance of the woman,” John Paul II wrote, “can satisfy the need for interpersonal dialogue, so vital for human existence.” Thus, as we strive to build a humane culture, one of the key ingredients will always be creating an environment in which people can readily and easily engage in meaningful contact with one another. An ethical world is one that will be designed to promote virtuous relationships between people, especially between men and women as they form the foundation of the family in the marital bond. Technological communications can be an aid to this kind of society, but the lessons of the past decade have revealed there is no replacement for direct human contact. So, the next time we may want to send a text instead of making a phone call, choose the phone call so people can hear another human voice. When we want to just call someone instead of meeting them for lunch, arrange for a time to physically meet so two people can really be together. Slowly, but surely, this will lead to a more ethical world.