From the Introduction of The Great Belonging

Here are a few words from the Introduction of The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other.

Sometimes I wonder if loneliness resides in an extra, secret organ within the body—maybe the size of a plum, a storehouse of dense alienation hidden deep within us. I wonder if God knew we’d need a special place for our loneliness because we would have so much of it.

Everyone knows loneliness. Some may experience it more often. Some may find relief from it more quickly. Some may deny or avoid it. But I don’t think any of us escapes its company entirely, and I’m no longer sure we should, though I spent many years trying to outrun loneliness and her cunning charms.

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Charlotte Donlon helps her readers and clients notice how they belong to themselves, others, God, and the world. Charlotte is a writer, a spiritual director, and the founder of Spiritual Direction for Writers®, Spiritual Direction for Belonging™, and Parenting with Art™. Her essays have appeared in The Washington Post, The Curator, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, The Millions, Mockingbird, and elsewhere. Her first book is The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. She’s currently writing her next book, Spiritual Direction for Writers, which will be published by Eerdmans in 2024.