On the first page of Orbital, the astronauts are described as being “so together and so alone.” I think most people know what it is to be so together and so alone. We live with others and work with others. We have neighbors and friends. We are part of a society and culture. We are part of a species. We are together.
And yet, we are also alone, We live separate lives. We don’t necessarily share our true feelings. And sometimes that is a good thing. We don’t want to bother others with our problems or worries. We don’t want to upset others. So, when asked how we are doing, we generally say, “Fine.” And leave it at that. We maintain our separateness.
The image of alone and together also relates to our experience of God, or Divine Love, or our Higher Power or however we imagine the spiritual sensibility of something more than us and part of us. In that scenario, we are never alone, but often we forget that. We may feel alone. How will I get through this? How will I make it? Why is this happening? Yet whatever we are going through, we are not alone. There is a power, a force that is seeking to be together with us, especially when we feel most alone. Sometimes we forget to pay attention, to tune in, to be receptive to what we are being given.
Lent begins with the story of Jesus led out into the wilderness alone for 40 days. In the story of this time in the desert, Jesus is confronted by the devil. He is lured into being together with evil instead of together with God/good. Yet we are told that Jesus is sustained, alone, in the desert, and that he resists the power of evil all because he is together with God, with the forces of Love. In the 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus is so alone yet so together with God.
The season of Lent is a time to remember that we also are together with God. We are also being sustained by the power of Love. We are not alone, really. Ever.
Prayer: May we become more aware of the presence and power of Love that reminds us we are not alone. May that awareness bring us together into community with one another and with planet Earth. Amen.
Devotion prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL
The devotions this Lenten season will be based on the novel Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Orbital won the Booker Prize in 2024. It is a beautifully written story about the experience of a group of people on the International Space Station. They see 16 sunrises and sunsets in a 24 hour period. The book is a reflection on the experience of living together and appreciating planet Earth in a new way.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 