It’s just plain smart. It might even be a virtue. Or perhaps a spiritual practice worth learning.
Reading the warning signs of danger ought to prompt some kind of action. When your check engine light comes on, you ought to take your car to the mechanic. When you get a low balance alert, you ought to curb your spending. When your back hurts, or your stomach is in knots, or you have persistent headaches, you ought to tune into your stress levels.
Sometimes Jesus withdrew to the wilderness to pray. Sometimes he withdrew to the middle of nowhere to avoid those trying to take his life. Both are a form of hiding for the sake of self-protection.
In such a hyper-connected world, there are few things as countercultural as learning to withdraw. Hiding out with God (and perhaps a few safe, trusted people) will save your life.
