See Notes on this series...
Merton reiterates that solitude is not a means to escape people's presence or dealings but a pulling away in order to find people and learn to relate to them. He also restates that true solitude is internal, and though it is possible to experience internal solitude amidst a crowd, it is also important to find a physical space for solitude.
He suggests finding some corner of a room where others won't disturb or notice. He evokes Jesus' suggestion of the prayer closet from the Sermon on the Mount. He also mentions dark, quiet city churches where men and women can slip in and take advantage of the quiet and the secrecy and the anonymity.
Merton ends the brief chapter with a sarcastic example of the abuse of internal solitude in the midst of the world. He speaks of Godly men who have no desire to be alone because they fear it. They make busy work of conferences and meetings filled with noise and they leave their gatherings celebrating their "furthering" of the Kingdom.
Quaff:
Solitude. Retreat. Examen. Intimacy. Whatever it is called, it is scary. I avoid it. It isn't difficult to generate enough noise to cancel silence. That is shameful, because as Merton says, there is "no contemplation where there is no secret."
Query:
- Have I chosen and guarded my place of solitude?
- What can I do to embrace silence?
- How can I practice internal solitude within the crowds of my world?
- How can I maintain a proper focus during times of physical solitude?
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