Life together, life alone ...

One of the best books I have ever read and have taught from is about 125 pages long and it is by a German theologian named Dietrich Bonhoeffer (DB) called "Life Together ...". The setting of this book was Germany in the years just before World War II. Resisting Hitler, DB did a number of things -- one of them was to have small groups of Christians in or preparing for resistance meeting together. For him this was life together.

But he also talked highly of life alone. As a matter of fact, the book Life Together has a chapter on life alone. As I get older I have found that both togetherness and momentary seclusion are necessary for one's vital relationship with God. That seclusion time gives moments for self-examination of how well I am loving God, neighbor, enemy and self (the basic commands on us of Jesus).

And today in works on leadership this alone-time is seen as critical for as they agree the only one we can truly change is our self. And by our personal change we can exemplify the benefits of change to those around us.

Even Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless one, took time alone. I saw that again in my devotional for this morning which was partially from Luke 21.

Every day he was teaching in the Temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives (within sight of the temple), as it was called. And all the people would get up early on the morning to listen to him in the temple (Luke 21:37-38).