I have to confess, I plagiarized the following from a response on another blog, but it so moved me that I feel I can own the content. It also might answer (in part) your question above.

“Love in its purest form gives without asking for return, but in the process makes itself vulnerable to the will and actions of love’s recipient. In other words, if I love without vulnerability, I have not really loved at all. In the same way, I believe that while God is certainly all powerful, for Him to love us He has to “give up” some of that power, or else it really isn’t love at all … To dictate the every action of one’s beloved is not love; it is obsessive (unhealthy) control.”

We humans don’t like giving up power, and if we are to commit ourselves to true relationships, that’s exactly what we’re called to do. In the abstract, it is a fearful thing to love. We only discover its greater power when we do it.

The fascinating story of Christopher McCandless’ quest in discovering his true self and true relationships culminates with the ultimate test for survival in the wilderness, mapless and a pack of bare bones gear. In the last weeks of his life he realizes that happiness is not happiness at all unless it is shared. (he had a revelation of this reading one of the classics, like Dostoevsky or somebody like that…). It was staggering in the book and on film to discover this with Chris as he journeyed into not only the Alaskan wilderness but also his inner wilderness. That he became trapped and ultimately died in the very wilderness where his revelation about life and relationships was born, is indeed a compelling tragedy.

Yes. We for sure need one another. Those who purposely withdraw from community for whatever reason seem to get a bit out of sorts when they stay away too long. Solitude is good for the soul, but extended isolation is not.

Good post April.