Читать книгу Reconnect - David Sherbino - Страница 9

The Gospel records tell us Jesus took significant periods of time away from ministry and -people simply to be alone with God. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus went into the wilderness for a period of 40 days to pray and fast. (Matthew 4:1-11)

Later Jesus taught his followers to do the very same thing. After ministering to the crowds he had the disciples get into a boat and cross over to the other side of the lake where they would be alone away from the crowd and their persistent demands. (Matthew 14:13-33) Jesus knew the disciples needed time alone to allow God to renew them so they could continue their ministry empowered and energized by the Holy Spirit. They needed to “come apart” before they “came apart”.

Jesus also encouraged his followers to be in a place of solitude when they prayed. He said when they were praying they were to go into a closet to pray to their Father in secret. (Matthew 6:1-8)

Henri Nouwen states: “Solitude is difficult for many people, because they don’t know what to do in the solitude. Most of us are used to being very busy and productive but in solitude we seem to do nothing. For those who have used productivity as the basis for their self-worth this becomes a drastic if not radical departure from their way of living. But in solitude we are not completely alone, Christ is with us, and we are deepening our relationship with him.

We enter into solitude first of all to meet our Lord and to be with him and him alone. Our primary task in solitude, therefore, is not to pay undue attention to the many faces which assail us, but to keep, the eyes of our mind and heart on him who is our Divine Saviour. Only in the context of grace can we face our sin; only in the place of healing do we dare to show our wounds; only with a single minded attention to Christ can we give up our clinging fears and face our own true nature. As we come to realize that it is not we who live, but Christ who lives in us, that he is our true self, we can slowly let our compulsions melt away and begin to experience the freedom of the children of God.

Solitude is thus a place of purification and transformation, the place of the great struggle and the great encounter. Solitude is not simply a means to an end. Solitude is its own end. It is the place for Christ remodels us in his own image and frees us from the victimizing compulsions of the world. Solitude is the place of our salvation. Hence, it is the place where we want to lead all who are seeking the light in this dark world. St. Anthony spent 20 years in isolation. When he left it he took his solitude with him and shared it with all who came to him. Those who saw him described him as balanced, gentle, and caring. He had become so Christ-like, so radiant with God’s love, that his entire being was ministry”. (3)

The exercises will provide an opportunity to practice some basic elements of silence and solitude and to discover some of the benefits of the discipline. Initially it may feel somewhat strange and unnatural, but if you stay with it you will come to appreciate and possibility even seek out regular times of silence and solitude. As a word of warning to those who are somewhat extroverted … ‘this will be difficult’. To those who are somewhat introverted … ‘this is a dream come true’.