"In solitude we can slowly unmask the illusion of our possessiveness and discover in the center of our own self that we are not what we can conquer, but what is given to us. In solitude we can listen to the voice of the One who spoke to us before we could speak a word, who healed us before we could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could free others, and who loved us long before we could give love to anyone. It is in this solitude that we discover that being is more important than having, and that we are worth more than the result of our efforts."- Henri J.M. Nouwen. The Only Necessary Thing.
In the west, we are accustomed to valuing our worth and the worth of others based not simply on what we achieve, but also by the level of our independence from others. "Self-sufficiency" is especially coded into the American gene. Even in our spiritual lives we want to insist on independence, understanding all possibility, all completeness, as inherent within ourselves. In the quiet we can find the balance necessary to see both our immeasurable worth and our finitude. We can celebrate our dependance, looking to the One who is beyond all and opening ourselves to receive that which comes as the greatest gift: unconditional love.
Blessings,
Sam
