A Sweet Loneliness

A UNIVERSAL LONGING

There is something in human nature that yearns to be part of something more. Even if you have no religious beliefs and reject all things spiritual, planted deep within your soul is a haunting question–“Is there something more?” Our life can live anywhere from a few hours to over one-hundred years, but even a hundred years is but a small ripple in the vast ocean of time. While I’m not sure that anyone has asked the butterfly or the lion, it is generally assumed that humans are the one creature that can contemplate the future. It may well be the hubris of humanity to think that we are the pinnacle of creation, but our capacity to think beyond our existence is one of the special qualities of our human nature. That capacity moves us beyond pure hedonism and enables us to rise above excessive narcissism. We are able to consider the impact of our lives on others and to sacrifice immediate pleasure for long range achievement. When we fail to do that, the quality of our humanity is reduced.

PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER

Humans hunger to be part of something bigger than themselves. At its most basic level, we see that in a person going to great effort to be part of a sports team, or even being the passionate fan of a team. Young people become part of gangs because it makes them feel more important. A scientist will devote countless hours to develop a cure for a disease and gain satisfaction in knowing that his or her discovery will help countless people. Soldiers will sacrifice their lives for their country. At a more personal level, many people will sacrifice for their family and feel good about being part of their family. We lose something of our humanity when we are not part of something bigger than ourselves.

TOUCHING TRANSCENDENCE

When we think about it very deeply, we recognize that many of our “bigger things” of which we are a part are very transient. Teams finish their season, people forget who discovered the cure, politicians fade from memory, and even families forget their ancestors. From a spiritual perspective, we try to be part of that which transcends the limits of time. From Abram and Sarai to the present, humans seek to connect with and respond to the Alpha and Omega who makes sense out of all the events of time. We live for only a few short years but our life has meaning and value far beyond our time on earth.

A SWEET LONELINESS

As Hebrews says, “All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.”It is worth being part of this transcendent vision even if we don’t see it completed in our time.

We are part of something greater than ourselves, and that sets us apart from those who are fixated on the now. There is a certain loneliness to living this way. We are like a person who lives in another country which they can love and appreciate but they are not fully at home.

Most members of congregations are attracted to the transcendent but pulled by the now. In the next blog, I want to speak about the sweet loneliness of the pastor who seeks to address these members. S/he is called to swim against the tide and speak of something greater than but a integral part of our living.