"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)
"alone, without companions; unattended"... These are defining terms for the word, "solitary," as given by Dictionary.com. Unless you're sitting on the Beltway at rush hour, standing in the middle of the opposing team's student section after their star player makes the winning shot, or suddenly feeing the gaze of everyone in a crowded room because of something embarrassing you just did, you may view the term "solitary" with some contempt. We think of solitude at times in association with loneliness, perhaps even a friendless existence where hours and minutes are marked by a longing to be embraced and accepted by others.
Though that kind of loneliness can be devastating, there is a solitude that is good for the soul as highlighted by our text. As news of Jesus's teaching and healing spread through the countryside, he found it difficult to move about without attracting a crowd. On several occasions, after healing someone in miraculous fashion, he instructed them, sometimes quite sternly, not to tell others about the source of their healing, but some could not keep such news to themselves. In the preceding verses of our text, word has gotten out that Jesus is at the home of Peter and as a result, the whole town gathered at the door and Jesus brought healing to the hurting and broken. There had to be moments when Jesus wanted and needed to get away...to find a solitary place where he could pray and find respite from the noise and demands of the world around him.
We do not spend our days miraculously healing the sick, nor do crowds flock to see us as neighbors and strangers tell about our great and wonderful deeds. But you and I do live in the midst of a busy world where there is often little escape from the demands that press in around us. Jesus embraced the significance of solitary moments that helped him experience again and again a closeness with his heavenly Father. Dare we hint that our busy lives leave little or no room for such connection?
The Psalmist wrote, "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him." (Psalm 37:7a) The season of Lent is a very appropriate time to heed the admonition of the Psalmist and the example of Jesus.
Prayer: God of storm and stillness, at some point today, may we walk a solitary path with you where your Spirit moves like a gentle breeze and your presence is felt like a welcome friend. Amen.
Jim Abernathy
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