A Cure for Loneliness.
"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." (Mark 1:35).
A young man, always used to being surrounded by family and friends and kept busy by ceaseless activity, was overcome by a sense of loneliness for the first time, as he sat, not in a remote and isolated place, but in a busy sidewalk café on the Kurfürstendamm, one of the most famous avenues in Berlin. Surrounded by people yet devastatingly lonely.
Sometimes being alone can be good for you, other times, like some of the time travelling by oneself, it is just lonely and sad. Jesus here demonstrates a good form of being alone, seeking a solitary place, not to be alone, but to be with His Father uninterrupted.
Those who know Christ Jesus can never again be truly lonely. Jesus promises, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). But in our hectic lives and chaotic world we do need to proactively seek solitary times and places so we can calm our minds and spend time with God in prayer. To recalibrate. To get our priorities right. To seek first that which is most important.
This may require removing ourselves from all distractions such as computers, phones, newspapers. A time of refusing to let the demands, panic and chaos of the world and the media enter our minds, a time where instead we read a passage of the Bible and then pray.
It doesn't have to be a lot of time. Taking 5-10 minutes, if that is all you can manage, will be immensely beneficial and better than nothing. A walk in a park. A cup of tea in the sunshine, or in a quiet room of your home.
If God is in control of the outcomes of your day, which He is, no matter what you are missing out on it would seem wise to spend some time each day to be alone with Him, with your triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It is a great cure for the chaos of this fallen world and for loneliness. When you know Jesus you may sometimes be solitary but you will never be alone.
Photo and reflection by Craig Manners.
A Cure for Loneliness.
"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." (Mark 1:35).
A young man, always used to being surrounded by family and friends and kept busy by ceaseless activity, was overcome by a sense of loneliness for the first time, as he sat, not in a remote and isolated place, but in a busy sidewalk café on the Kurfürstendamm, one of the most famous avenues in Berlin. Surrounded by people yet devastatingly lonely.
Sometimes being alone can be good for you, other times, like some of the time travelling by oneself, it is just lonely and sad. Jesus here demonstrates a good form of being alone, seeking a solitary place, not to be alone, but to be with His Father uninterrupted.
Those who know Christ Jesus can never again be truly lonely. Jesus promises, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). But in our hectic lives and chaotic world we do need to proactively seek solitary times and places so we can calm our minds and spend time with God in prayer. To recalibrate. To get our priorities right. To seek first that which is most important.
This may require removing ourselves from all distractions such as computers, phones, newspapers. A time of refusing to let the demands, panic and chaos of the world and the media enter our minds, a time where instead we read a passage of the Bible and then pray.
It doesn't have to be a lot of time. Taking 5-10 minutes, if that is all you can manage, will be immensely beneficial and better than nothing. A walk in a park. A cup of tea in the sunshine, or in a quiet room of your home.
If God is in control of the outcomes of your day, which He is, no matter what you are missing out on it would seem wise to spend some time each day to be alone with Him, with your triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It is a great cure for the chaos of this fallen world and for loneliness. When you know Jesus you may sometimes be solitary but you will never be alone.
Photo and reflection by Craig Manners.
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