Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35
“A life without a lonely place, that is, a life without a quiet center, easily becomes destructive. When we cling to the results of our actions as our only way of self-identification, then we become possessive and defensive and tend to look at our fellow human beings more as enemies to be kept at a distance than as friends with whom we share the gifts of life.
In solitude we can slowly unmask the illusion of our possessiveness and discover the center of our own self that we are not what we can conquer, but what is given to us. In solitude we can listen to the voice of Him who spoke to us before we could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could free others, and who loved its long before we could give love to anyone.
It is in this solitude that we discover that being is more important than having, and that we are worth more that the result of our efforts. In solitude we discover that our life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared. It’s there we recognize that the healing words we speak are not just our own, but are given to us; that the love we can express is part of a greater love; and that the new life we bring forth is not a property to cling to, but a gift to be received.
In solitude we become aware that our worth is not the same as our usefulness.”
Henri Nouwen in Out of Solitude as recounted in The Dance of Life, edited by Michael Ford (London: Darton, Longman, and Todd, 2005) 102-103.
When I fly, like today over the Pacific to Manila, I enjoy solitude with God. When do you enjoy solitude? Jesus got away to be alone with the Father and we should too. It’s a gift.
Solitude helps us make sure that that our doing, knowing, and being are balanced and helps us possess things rightly as gifts. Only when these traits are kept in perspective can be generous.