Two kinds of loneliness

In the spiritual life we have to make a distinction between two kinds of loneliness. In the first loneliness, we are out of touch with God and experience ourselves as anxiously looking for someone or something that can give us a sense of belonging, intimacy, and home. The second loneliness comes from an intimacy with God that is deeper and greater than our feelings and thoughts can capture. We might think of these two kinds of loneliness as two forms of blindness. The first blindness comes from the absence of light, the second from too much light. The first loneliness we must try to outgrow with faith and hope. The second we must be willing to embrace in love. Henri Nouwen Bread for the Journey

Somehow Nouwen has a way of putting deep things succinctly. I wrote about this this back in January (here) A few days ago I was talking to one international, now back in her home country, who has broken up with her boyfriend of many years. Somehow it is difficult to counsel about the challenge to grow in loneliness when that person is in pain at the loss of security of future, locked in the threat of being unmarried. I found myself for a moment in the conversation and can honestly say that the desire to marry and share a life does not go away nor fade away.

... Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith ...Hebrews 12:1c-2a