I wrote an essay about how I have struggled with loneliness during this past year, and how I have attempted to push through that loneliness into solitude. I wanted to see if I could put words to my experience in a way that connected with what so many others are experiencing during the pandemic. The good folks at Fathom magazine included it in their latest issue, and it was posted this week. Here is how I ended it:

I have empty spaces in my calendar, now. I have empty spaces in my life. Because they used to be filled, I feel the emptiness as a void, like the imprint on my finger where my wedding ring used to be. Knowing that distracting myself won’t fill the void, I can only go out to the lonely place where Jesus is. There I sit with him and wait until I can follow him into the crowd again.

If you have a few minutes, head over and read the whole thing.

• Autobiography