Loneliness? (again)

"God uses those who can understand the times..." ~J. Kang

Henri Nouwen was a man who "understood the times"...and God did, and still does, use him in the transformation of people's hearts. In the beginning pages of Nouwen's "Reaching Out," he gives a slicing diagnosis of, particularly, American life (though much, I am sure, holds true in other cultures).

We have an innate loneliness inside...and we don't really know what to do with it! We carry a "false expectation that we are called to take each other's loneliness away." By operating on this premise, we enter relationships and "burden others with these divine expectations." The result? Our relationships are excurciating...tiring...suffocating. I think this pervades our culture more than most of us realize.

Nouwen notes that we in America are suspicious of closedness; yet our obsessive openness itself becomes superficial, fun of "empty chatter, easy confessions, hollow talk, senseless compliments, poor praise, and boring confidentialities."

See what I meant by "a slicing analysis"?

He slices through the heart of our culture, giving a clear cutaway view of the contents.

Empty chatter, easy confessions, hollow talk, senseless compliments, poor praise, and boring confidentialities...

How much of my talk, how many of our conversations, consist of these busy nothings? How often do we delight in open, "heart-exposing" conversations? --And we act in these conversations as though it is a beautiful and rare occurance, a seldom and meaningful treat....when in reality, we are only spouting off as we normally do.

Lord, give me grace today to be attentive...to notice empty chatter, easy confessions, hollowtalk, senseless compliments, poor praise, and boring confidentialities. To see the pervasive loneliness around me and within myself. To be quiet...as a means of guarding my inner sanctuary and as a service to others, choosing not to contribute to pointless crusade of conquering lonliness by human means. Help me to stay attentive.