My Soul Needed a Spiritual Reset

So I went on a five-day silent retreat.
Illustration by Ric Carrasquillo

SOLITUDE OFTEN CAN be dismissed as a spiritual luxury or afterthought. But as I’ve grown in ministry and activism, I have become convinced that solitude is a spiritual necessity.

I found myself spiritually depleted this past summer, carrying the weight of dismay and uncertainty associated with the election, anxiety and stress tied to the responsibilities of leading Sojourners in this season, and so much more. I debated whether to take some of my sabbatical. (Sojourners employees receive a one-month sabbatical after every seven years of employment.) My soul desperately needed it, but I kept pushing it off due to the tyranny of the urgent. I finally committed to a plan for August.

I’m beyond grateful for a vacation with my family, followed by a five-day silent retreat at Prince of Peace Abbey, a Benedictine monastery north of San Diego. My soul needed this spiritual reset.

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