Balancing community and solitude
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 NIV
Then stirs the feeling infinite, so felt In solitude, where we are least alone.
Lord Byron
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
John 15:9,12
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
John Donne
If you look carefully at the photos of the ancient bristlecone forest, you will notice that the trees are often evenly spaced apart. Together, they form a forest, but each tree has its own individual space as well. By being spaced apart, the trees don’t have to compete for the limited resources of water and soil nutrients. If one tree is caught on fire by a lightning strike, it’s also less likely that the entire forest will burn since the trees are not right on top of each other.
Such a healthy balance of individuality and community. Jesus life was an illustration of balancing time alone with the Father and time with others. We need time alone with God to remember that His love and relationship is the one enduring relationship in our lives. We need time with others so that we can live out God’s love in community. Just as bristlecones need to have their own space to thrive. But bristlecone trees also benefit from living in community as shade from the other trees helps slow snow melt and preserve precious ground water. We also need time with others to experience the joy of sharing and receiving God’s love from others.
As a person who is largely an extrovert, I can sometimes get caught up in the pleasure of being around other people and overcommit. Then I finally hit a spot where I realize that I need some time alone. Some weeks ago, I was leaving church when a group of friends said that they were going to go get coffee and didn’t I want to join them. A big part of me really did want to spend time with my friends, but I knew that I really needed to have some time alone. So, I begged off explaining that I was doing a “social fast” for the rest of the day. I went home and thoroughly enjoyed a restful day with simple activities with only God, my pup, and my cat for company. The next day, I was ready to interact with people again. Refreshed and ready to be in community!
Perhaps you are an extrovert as I am and sometimes struggle with creating time alone to rest in the simplicity of solitude. Perhaps you are an introvert and need to encourage yourself to be with others to share love and be loved. Wherever you are in life, I hope that you always strive to find a balance between time alone and time with others.