Those of you who aren’t believers may roll your eyes a little even as I start this, but bear with me.
I was reading an article on the spiritual remedy for cabin fever that does a good job bringing in advice from a time when most Americans struggled with isolation. As the writer points out, in the 1800s most Americans lived “on a remote farm, in an isolated hunter’s cabin, or in a small village.” In such a setting, leaders knew acutely the need to advise people on how to deal with a lack of social interaction. The difference now comes only from having gotten used to another way of life.
The article shares advice from many of those leaders, and it’s worth a read. A part of that article really struck me, though, and I wanted to dwell on it for just a bit. Many have written about the insights we can gain from what most call “The Lord’s Prayer.” (A better name is “The Model Prayer,” but that’s for another post.) I can’t add anything to that except, perhaps, to help us focus on one particular insight: the structure.
The structure is a strong clue
If you haven’t heard it in awhile, it goes like this:
In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13, NKJV)
Where does Jesus tell us to start? It’s not with our concerns; it’s with our spiritual connection.
Now, don’t forget our concerns. Pray for our daily bread. Pray for protection. But if we start there, we can finish there, and think about little else.
It helps isolation to remember we are part of something bigger. If you’re not a believer, I urge you to take a step back and consider the evidence for something beyond our little selves. If you are a believer, take comfort in remembering the Something Beyond. It doesn’t cure cabin fever, but it puts it in perspective. Plus, it really does help negate that feeling of being all alone, abandoned, isolated.
Our ancestors knew this. It would help us to learn it again.
Peace.