Go to the Desert

   I love silence.  It’s something I look to find in my life.  Silence is the province of God; He speaks to me in the silence of my heart.  For me a silent retreat is a chance to know my Lord better and listen for His plan for me.  It lets me clear the cobwebs from my soul, refocus myself and strengthen my faith.

   Many early Christians literally went to the desert.  They sought the solitude and silence.  Jesus went to the mountains many times to be in prayer and communion with the Father.  The prophet Elijah found God in the quiet whisper rather than the wind, storm, and fire.  Solitude and quiet is, for me, a needed experience if I am to know my God better.

   Even though I want to separate myself from society at large and spend time alone with God it is not a desire to remain separate from others.  I also need the companionship of others in my life.  I think the solitude helps me to not only come closer to the Lord but also to others in my life.  A closeness and love of God helps to grow the closeness and love of others.

   Some go to the desert to escape.  They want to be totally alone with God and isolated from others.  I think sometimes this is a way of running away rather than a growth in faith and love.  We are meant to be a communal people; we need others.  If we completely ignore those around us I think we open ourselves to Satan and his demons.

   I go to the desert of silence and solitude not to escape but to discover.  I discover a closer relationship with my Lord and He encourages and strengthens my relationship with others.  Without others to love I don’t think I could love God properly.  Jesus taught us to love others as ourselves.  He went away for quiet and solitude, but He returned to love and serve others.  For me going to the desert to be with God increases not only my love for Him but also gives me His love to share with others.

   “Go into the desert not to escape other men but in order to find them in God.”  (Thomas Merton, “New Seeds of Contemplation”)