After Jesus had dismissed the crowd, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone.
Matthew 14:23
Lately I’ve been spending more time alone. At the end of a long day after visiting dozens of patients at the hospital providing spiritual care as a chaplain, I’ve been appreciating my time of solitude. But occasionally, in the deafening silence of solitude, I can feel moments of loneliness.
This made me wonder… What’s the difference between solitude and aloneness? Well, according to theologian and author Henri Nouwen, solitude is not truly being alone. Solitude is being in God’s presence. When I forget that I am in God’s presence, I feel lonely; when I remember I am in God’s presence, I am comforted and at peace.
Seek solitude over aloneness.
