29 His disciples said, "Yes, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God." 31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? 32 The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. 33 I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!"
Again Jesus tells the disciples that although the people around him will desert him, he will not be alone because God is with him. History is replete with stories of Christians who have been alone for extended periods of time, voluntarily in deserts or involuntarily in prison, but who came through the experience knowing that God was with them.
What do Jesus’ words teach you about the difference between loneliness and solitude? In days and weeks ahead, if you have not already done so, read a book about the desert fathers and mothers to inform your understanding of solitude. You might want to start with John Chryssavgis’s, In The Heart of the Desert: The Spirituality of the desert Fathers and Mothers, a compilation of their sayings accompanied by original commentary by Chryssavgis.
No comments:
Post a Comment