At the time, I was fresh out of college, dealing with a boatload of baggage from a brief flirtation with charismatic church culture, and spiritually restless. I also felt trapped in a spiral of shame, depression, and anxiety. Maybe spending some time at a beautiful, peaceful retreat center would discipline my hyperactive mind into spiritual maturity.
After all, that’s what everyone promised: Christians of all theological persuasions agree that sitting still, staying focused, and being quiet for extended periods of time is the recipe to deepen your relationship with God. Christians through history have made much of Jesus’ attempts to find solitude throughout the gospels and broadly applied solitude as the one true path to holiness and hearing God’s voice.
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