Mark 6: 30-32 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.

In this podcast episode I share some thoughts about the gifts and necessity of practicing solitude. With this invitation Jesus was calling his friends out of their busyness to a place of rest beyond the demands of their engagement and action.

What about us?

Fr. Henri Nouwen claims that “without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life.” That is because the practice of solitude centers us in our own hearts and enables us to be “securely rooted in personal intimacy with the source of life.”

Does my life naturally lean outward (without enough inward grounding), or does it naturally lean inward (without enough outward engagement)? What is one practice I could add to bring a fuller both/ and balance?

The contemplative practice of solitude brings three gifts: Clarity, Presence, and Joy. These gifts are a necessity for a more flourishing life.

Hope you enjoy!

With you on the Journey,

Rob+