Every good superhero has their Fortress of Solitude. Batman has his bat-cave. Superman has his… Fortress of Solitude. Ironman has Stark Tower.
As faith superheroes, the same tool is necessary for us. We need a safe place to retreat. To pray. To recharge. A place to reconnect to the source of our strength.
Solitude is an asset because it allows us the opportunity to catch our breath. It allows us the chance to contemplate, to re-calibrate our perspective so that we can ensure we are stewarding our gifts and opportunities well.
Jesus retreated. He went away by himself to pray. He needed the time away to connect himself to God. Away from the noise, the expectations, and the responsibilities. Just a son with his father.
If we want to live transcendent of our circumstances, we need to be able and willing to step away from them from time to time. Into a safe place. A chalice for the soul. A fortress of solitude. In the era of social media, perhaps one of the most important things we can do is to unplug. To “send the crowds away.” To stop engaging with what all the people surrounding us think, and focus on what our Creator thinks.
Jesus’ life is our model. He is the truest and best faith superhero. He gives us permission, leads us, provides an example to unplug, to “send the crowds away.” When we make a focused solitude a regular rhythm of our lives, we are leaning in to a necessity for any faith superhero.