More Thoughts on Solitude

I've always connected the spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude, associating them with being alone in a room, perhaps with the mental image of a monastery. But Richard Foster describes solitude as inner fulfillment or having a "portable sanctuary of the heart." In The Celebration of Discipline, he argues that "if we possess inward solitude we do not fear being alone, for we know that we are not alone. Neither do we fear being with others, for they do not control us. In the midst of noise and confusion we are settled into a deep inner silence." Maybe solitude is about being settled in yourself, inwardly listening for the voice of the Father while everything else clamors for your attention.

We tend to be uncomfortable with silence. Even in seeking God, we often feel better if there’s a worship song on in the background. Can we have a response time after a sermon without someone telling us what to sing or what to pray? If left to ourselves, what sound would come from our hearts? This is a question that must be answered in we are to live as Christ in the middle of the world, for we will often be in situations where there are no worship songs, no preacher or mentor telling us what to say or what to think. Does your heart yearn for God when nobody else is around?

Personality types have given introverts an excuse to run from community and extroverts an excuse to never be alone. But Jesus prioritized time with people as well as time alone. I'm always convicted when I read about him withdrawing from the crowds. Much of my so-called alone time is spent in a flurry of productivity. I'm emailing, reading, listening to or watching something. Solitude doesn't seem productive, therefore it doesn't seem important.

My goal this year is based in John 15:5 -- "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." While there is much that I could read and listen to that would encourage me to remain in Jesus, and many people who are also a part of that, I believe that solitude also plays a role. I have to remember that my flurries of productivity won't bear fruit unless I am retaining that intimacy with Christ.