Solitude and the Christian

There are times in each of our lives when we must seek to be alone with God. Solitude is not an option for the serious Christian, it is a necessity.

This need for solitude is in no way contradictory to the urgent drive for more genuine community in the Church. Human beings need both meaningful time with and periods of seclusion from one other. Solitude is not synonymous with isolation. The latter is the bane of modern existence.

A constant and pathological estrangement from our fellows is symptomatic of the deeper alienation of the human heart to which modern life lends itself. Isolation is usually not voluntary; it is far more often a state in which individuals find themselves, at least to some degree, contrary to their own will. The remedy to isolation is a return to the communal values of biblical Christianity that are so lacking in the hyper-individualistic West today.

The often unmentioned flip side of unhealthy isolation is an equally unhealthy need for constant social interaction. Some people feel they can only endure the absolute minimum amount of time apart from others that is necessary for propriety, even if that means invading the legitimate boundaries of other’s privacy.

These are the men and women in our congregations who push so hard for constant “fellowship” that they ultimately alienate others. Such individuals cannot stand the thought of time spent only in their own company or, potentially, in the singular company of God. They almost make an idol of human relationship for its own sake, and in the end that obsession leads only to their own harm.

No spiritually and psychologically healthy man is “an island,” but neither is he always compelled to be with other people. Instead he is one who understands the need for both human and divine companionship, and not always at the same time. Balanced Christians seek “alone-time” with the Lord to recharge their spiritual batteries and to rest from the sometimes incessant demands of human society. Such “alone-time” can also be described as solitude—the voluntary removal of oneself from others in order to seek quiet repose and restoration in the presence of God.

Solitude requires more than just being absent from the physical presence of others. It involves being removed from their “tele-presence” as well. It means turning off the television, silencing the stereo, logging off the Internet, and switching off your cell phone.

We live in an era when we can choose to be continually connected to communications media—some have even gone so far as to install a TV in their bathroom. Real solitude cannot exist in the presence of a constant audiovisual stream. It requires the complete, if temporary, removal of all the trappings of our electronically “plugged-in” culture. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is to simply venture outdoors. Nature lends itself to solitude. A hike up a mountain or a long float on a lake can facilitate the kind of quiet that allows us to clearly hear from God.

Whether it is achieved through the great outdoors or simply a purposely silenced home, the balm of solitude is vital to the believer. It reminds us that the vertical element of Christianity must come before the horizontal one. We are to love God above and beyond our fellow man (though, paradoxically, loving Him first enables us to love others best). We are to seek Him and Him alone, as our greatest priority. This is simply impossible without separating ourselves from others for a time.

Once we recognize solitude as the great good it is, we can pursue it both without guilt and with anticipatory joy—for in pursuing solitude, we pursue and find our Lord. Then, after we commune with Him in the quiet place, we can return to the company of our fellow human beings as men and women refreshed and transformed, ready once more to live together for the glory and service of the Lord.

© 2009 Shea Oakley. All Rights Reserved

Shea Oakley is a freelance Christian writer from Ridgewood, New Jersey.