Yesterday I read a quote from Henri Nouwen that really took me aback.
“Without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life.”
That is such a strong statement! Very dogmatic.
Perhaps one reason why it strikes me so much is that I do not practice the spiritual discipline of solitude. Don’t get me wrong: I have a number of times when I am alone, but that does not automatically qualify as solitude.
This quote provokes me. (in a good way)
We live in society that puts a very high value on productivity and efficiency and effectiveness. In general, spiritual disciplines such as solitude are not esteemed in our fast-paced culture.
One of the dimensions of many of the spiritual disciplines is that they are a form of voluntary weakness. We are giving up portions of resources that strengthen us. When I give money away, that money is really gone and I can’t spead it on something else. When I serve somebody, or pray or meditate, or read the Scriptures, I lose time that I could be using to get other things done.
I like to spend time alone but I almost always am doing something. I value time quite a bit and am always chiding myself on my use of time, looking for more efficient uses of time. I consider prayer a very wise investment of time, however I often have strong urges to ‘do things’ while I am in personal times of prayer.
So here’s my question for you to consider: in what ways could the discipline of solitude strengthen your own spiritual life?
