Finding your Fortress

Wouldn’t you love to visit Superman’s Fortress of Solitude?

This weekend my kids and I watched Superman: The Movie followed by Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut on VidAngel. In both films, Superman frequently retreats to his frozen sanctuary, the Fortress of Solitude. The Fortress is created by a special crystal that Superman’s Kryptonian father, Jor-El, enclosed in his son’s spaceship and contains numerous "memory crystals" that can be used to access Jor-El's artificial intelligence and hologram.

When Superman brings Lois to the Fortress, she exclaims, “Wow! This is your home?” Superman replies, “No, actually I live in the city about three blocks from you. But this is a very special place for me.” The Fortress of Solitude is special to Superman because it provides him a place to get away from all the distractions and demands of life and allows him to commune with his father.

This is yet another way that Superman emulates Jesus. Just as Superman traveled to a solitary place to be alone with his father, Jesus also traveled to solitary places to connect with his Heavenly Father. The Bible says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35 NIV). Elsewhere, the Bible says, “Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer” (Luke 5:16 NIV). Not only did Jesus retreat to private places for prayer, but He also encouraged us to do the same: “when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6 HCSB).

If your life is anything like mine, then you’ve got a lot going on. You’ve got chores to complete, costumes to create, children to chase, a spouse to love, a dog to feed, church commitments to keep, soccer games to attend, lunch appointments, doctor’s appointments, hair appointments and that doesn’t even begin to account for the projects, paper work, and priorities at the office or in the shop or on the farm. In the midst of it all, God longs to quietly connect with you.

We all need a Fortress of Solitude. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be a crystalline castle. Maybe your Fortress of Solitude is a park bench or the foot of your bed. Maybe your “solitary place” is at the kitchen table early in the morning before anyone else is awake. Maybe your “private room” is a study, an office, or a deer stand out in the woods. It doesn’t really matter where your fortress is. What matters is that you find a special solitary place where you can connect and commune with your Father free from distractions, disturbances and disruptions.

So where is your Fortress of Solitude?