“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and privacy, and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.” C.S. Lewis
Privacy is a rare commodity; solitude is virtually extinct;
and most of us start getting worried when we experience lengthy silence. It is, quite frankly, a recipe for
disaster. C. S. Lewis talks about true
friendship as stemming from the deepest part of a person, from the secret place
of the soul, the inner chambers of true self. We are built to live in
community, yet silence, solitude and meditation are critical for spiritual
growth, to examine ourselves, and as we learn of ourselves, learn to be a good
friend. It is no coincidence that time
for devotions is often referred to as, “quiet time.” God’s voice is most clearly heard in silence,
solitude, and privacy.
Please understand.
There are many who read this that are lonely, and are sick of the
solitude. The pain of loneliness is a
terrific burden. As I mentioned above,
we are built for community. Yet, for most
of us, we need to learn to value solitude and silence. We need to learn to value it because it is so
important to be able to meditate and to develop a true friendship with
God. And it really is about learning to
value it because setting aside time for silence to be alone with God is choice.
Most of us live in a very busy world. It is dangerous. Busyness
withers the soul.
In silence, solitude and privacy we find friendship…with the
God of the universe.
"There are many who read this that are lonely, and are sick of the solitude."
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes solitude carries its own noise. What we are seeking is peace (wholeness) which requires healthy doses of both solitude and community.
if have not lived a good chunk of your life in the 20th century, you have no idea what the man is talking about.
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