Out of Solitude

I have been reading through Henri J.M. Nouwen's book, Out of Solitude. One little part has been on my heart this week. Oh, does this rock me to the core!

Mark 1:35 "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

"I want to reflect on this lonely place in our lives. Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our lives are in danger. Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening speaking no longer heals, that without distance closeness cannot cure. Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our actions quickly become empty gestures. The balance between silence and words, withdrawal and involvement, distance and closeness, solitude and community forms the basis of the Christian life and should therefore be the subject of our most personal attention."

Silence, withdrawal, distance, and solitude are almost foreign words to me. I need to start paying more attention to these words.