Moral Loneliness

Back from a week off. It was bitter cold in Spokane during my break. A friend, Toni Robideaux, died during the cold time, after a brave and creative life, despite chronic illness. It was dark when we woke. Dark in the early afternoon.

There was a loneliness all around. Another friend, Mary Ann Heskett, just happened to send me during this time a wonderful article by Ron Rolheiser, a Canadian priest who writes life-changing books. My favorite: Holy Longing.

In the midst of the sex-abuse scandal, it has often been forgotten how many priests are doing life-altering work through their writing and speaking and social justice. The article titled "The Moral Loneliness of Jesus" ran in the Inland Register Dec. 4.

Rolheiser's words captured exactly that winter-cold loneliness at the core of human beings.

He writes: "What's moral loneliness? What it suggests is that inside each of us there's a place, a deep center, where all that's tender, sacred, cherished and precious is kept and guarded. It's also in this place, more than any other, that we fear lies, harshness, disrespect, being shamed, ridiculed or violated. We're most vulnerable there, so we're scrupulously careful as to whom we admit into this moral center."

So back to work. Back to January, when the winter quiet and cold sometimes allow a different access to this place of moral loneliness. All for the good.