The Christian's loneliness: carry the cross

The Christian's loneliness has its origin in walking with God in a wicked and unbelieving world. The Christian usually feels alone and marginalized in a world to which he does not belong. Why all this happens? Because the person who has accepted to live a Christian life finds himself walking with God instead of with the world.

“If the world hates you, you know well that before you he hated me. If you were of the world, the world would love what is his; for you are not of the world, but I have chosen you in the middle of the world, therefore the world hates you. Giovanni 15:18-19

The person who has experienced the divine presence in his life, the inner experience or that had the inner call, it will not find many who will understand it, indeed he will find many who will take him for mad. He finds only a few who will understand it, that is, other Christians born again. Thus the Christian usually remains silent and worried in the midst of this world of unbelievers and morally corrupt. For this reason it is considered different from the others, strange, outdated, in this modern and materialistic society. It is this solitude that keeps him close to God, the only one who can console him and make him happy. This inability to find human companions leads him to seek God and remain with Him.

How often do we happen to be misunderstood even by our friends, parents and relatives? This is completely normal, and the cross that Jesus tells us to carry. We need to take the Gospel message to the world, we must continue despite the misunderstandings we encounter along the way, despite the "teasing". We also need to have a lot of patience. We don't have to be sad, we must not break down: this is a sign, a proof of our being true Christians. Indeed, the true Christian is not the one who professes himself as such with his mouth, and then he does not pray, he does not lead a Christian life, he never talks about Jesus, the true Christian is one who has faith in the heart, he knows the Word of God and walks with God instead of with the world.

This is Jesus' message for us:

Who then will recognize me before men?, I too will recognize him before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever will disown me before men, I too will deny him before my Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I did not come to make peace, has falling. Because I came to divide the son from his father, the daughter from her mother, the daughter-in-law from the mother-in-law; and man's enemies will be those of his own house. Who loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and who loves son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. Who does not take his cross and does not come after me, is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it. Matteo 10:32-39

What does Jesus mean here? He's certainly not saying not to honor his father and mother, as per the commandment of God, but to always put God and faith first, even when families don't approve. Nothing should ever separate us from God, even if we must continue to love parents and others who do not approve of our faith.

Carrying the cross he has, obviously, a figurative meaning and is not to be taken literally as is done in the Catholic sphere. Carrying the cross is not physically suffering, do fast, self inflicting wounds, as it was done to Christ. Jesus was speaking of a deeper and more interior evil, the psychological one that leads us to loneliness. To endure this loneliness, God tells us to pray and constantly seek communion with other Christians.

But we must not be sad because we misunderstood, we must rejoice because what we will gain is the kingdom of heaven.

For the preaching of the cross is madness for those who perish, but for us, that we are saved, it is the power of God. 1Corinthians 1:18

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