‘Alone’: Lessons from the wilderness

“Therefore, I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her” (Hosea 2:14).

My dad and I have very different tastes in television. When he suggested I might like “Alone” on the History Channel, I was skeptical. However, once I checked out the seasons available on streaming platforms, I was hooked.

“Alone” sends 10 trained survivalists into the wilderness to live off the land. Armed with strict limits on their gear, the individual who lasts the longest wins a $500,000 prize. Unlike other reality shows, the participants do their own camera work.

The newest season, dubbed the “World Championship” because contestants hail from across the globe, premiered June 17.

What impresses me most about “Alone” is not the display of survival skills, as amazing as they are. Instead, the spiritual journey the participants undergo in the wilderness truly moves me. They might not use that vocabulary, but the description fits. Just like the biblical wilderness, the environment strips participants of almost everything, laying their souls bare. This wilderness experience holds three profound lessons for us all.

Lesson one: Back to basics

Modern life generally grants us easy access to our necessities. In North American culture, sufficient food, water and shelter are fairly easy to come by. On “Alone,” each participant must secure food and build shelter in a harsh environment.

In contemporary culture, instead of working directly for food and water, we work for money to buy what we need — and often what we don’t. By stripping away modern conveniences, “Alone” forces participants to experience the raw reality of survival. Watching the show offers a powerful opportunity to assess our own abundance and consider how we might share the bounty the Lord has given us with those who have less.

Lesson two: Sitting with silence

Because the survivalists constantly narrate their experiences for the camera, the deep silence they encounter is easy to overlook. Left with only their thoughts for company, they have ample time to evaluate their lives.

Participants display varying levels of comfort with this silence. An early “tap-out” — the show’s term for quitting the competition — often indicates extreme discomfort with the stark silence. Conversely, those who use the silence for self-reflection often tap out simply because the prize money loses its motivating power.

Rich storytelling happens on the screen. Some participants process grief or share challenges from their careers or family lives. Many speak of their children and their desire to pass on their love for the land. While few reference God directly, they allow the silence of the wilderness to help them make sense of their lives and express profound gratitude.

In Catholic life, we find our own “wilderness experience” by going on a retreat. A retreat provides time to step away from the daily pulse of life to connect with God and discern how he might be inviting us to re-assess our priorities. While most retreats are not as physically stark as “Alone,” the time to sit in silence and evaluate our hearts remains a cherished gift.

Lesson three: What really matters

Each participant enters the competition intending to win the $500,000. Yet, when the living gets rough, when foraging efforts fail, or when the family photo causes deep homesickness, the survivalists contemplate what truly matters. In the seasons I have watched, stripping away everything grants them a fresh perspective on their highest priority: the people they love.

I find it deeply edifying when a participant decides to tap out not out of weakness, but because they realize no amount of money can replace the time they are losing with family. They show the courage to “fail” in front of a national television audience to put their relationships first. We should all strive for that same courage, prioritizing life-giving relationships over the accumulation of wealth or goods.

Bonus lessons: Humility and gratitude

As I watch “Alone,” I think of the millions of other viewers and pray that they feel inspired to cultivate the virtues of humility and gratitude. Seeing how the wilderness strips a person to their very core, leaving them humbled before the power of nature, reminds me that I could use a little more humility myself. Humble people pay more attention to the needs of others rather than their own.

Gratitude also shines through the screen. Witnessing the pure joy of a participant who catches a fish after four days of starvation helps me appreciate the food and blessings in my own life.

“Alone” sends its contestants on an unforgettable journey. As viewers, we enter into their experience, feeling their struggle to survive in some of the harshest conditions on Earth. What they learn about themselves along the way can inspire us to value silence, realign our priorities and come away with a deeper appreciation for the gifts God gives as we humbly thank him for providing all we need.

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