Along the Way

Along the Way

The Practice of Solitude

An essential part of the Christian life

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Frank Ritchie
Aug 01, 2025
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A person standing on a bridge with a train in the background
Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash

Dear reader,

This article comes to you well after my usual publishing time of 7am on Saturday because it’s Saturday morning and I’m writing it. I started at 5:30am and am about to publish at 9:15am.

Before I begin—if you’re not aware—there’s a podcast I’m part of that involves interviewing some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most well-known journalists. Re_covering is hosted online by RNZ, and we’re now into the fifth season. If you’re interested in a behind-the-scenes look at some of our nation’s biggest stories, I’m not shy to say I think it’s well worth listening to. You can access it on your favourite podcast app, watch the latest season on YouTube, or listen to it on the RNZ website.

Now, onto today’s article.


On Wednesday I put up a quote from Henri Nouwen regarding the practice of solitude as essential to the spiritual life. I did so knowing it might provoke a response, particularly the very first short sentence. You can jump back to read it if you haven’t already—it would be worth doing before reading further.

The Lettera Files: 30.07.2025

Frank Ritchie
·
Jul 29
The Lettera Files: 30.07.2025

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I want to expand on that this morning.

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