Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and
continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self.
Henri Nouwen
I know…just mentioning the word solitude conjures up all sorts of feeling of dread and confusion. You’re not alone. A couple of days ago at a weekly mtg. that I attend, the topic of solitude came up for discussion. A couple of people said that they regularly get away for solitude. One person said that he couldn’t wait to get home after his time of solitude. Another admitted that solitude, to him, is about as attractive as a root canal. And someone candidly admitted that he wrestles with the walls of busyness. He wondered out loud if he puts up these walls to not be alone and confessed that he actually takes comfort in the bedlam of everyday life. He added that removing himself from the noise that surrounds him and going to a place of quiet solitude is the last thing that he wants to do.
Spiritual disciplines are hard aren’t they. Although we know that we should practice discipline in our spiritual lives, I admit that this is an area where I often fall short. In fact, during our discussion I brought up my own fear of fasting and how, because of my maddening love affair with food, fasting is something that I tend to shy away from. As a Christ follower I know that I should do it, but my love of food and my fear of failure keep me from fasting. A definite area of growth for sure.
The practice of solitude is different than being alone. Being alone means stepping away from the busyness of life and just having some time to yourself. Solitude takes that alone time but goes deeper by intentionally seeking after the heart of God. I admit that solitude can be difficult. Just the act of getting away for a day of quiet and reflection means this time takes precedence over other pressing matters…and there are always pressing matters, right? But if we are to follow the example of Christ in areas of baptism, prayer, and fasting. Shouldn’t we also follow him in solitude? As we read through the Scriptures we see several examples of Christ getting away for quiet reflection. In Matthew Jesus was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness” (Matthew 4:1). In Luke he “went out to a desolate place” (Luke 4:42). And again, Matthew tells us that Jesus “went up on the mountain by himself to pray . . . alone” (Matthew 14:23). Jesus clearly believed that there was something important about solitude. I’m sure it prepared him to adequately minister to others and reminds us that when we get away from the distractions of life we put ourselves in a position to hear from God.