Inward Journey of the Desert – Christine Valters Paintner 

“Some of us may ask whether the inward journey of the desert is selfish in the face of so much suffering in the world. Is the path of the monk or hermit a path of fleeing our responsibility to others? For those in the desert, the practice of hospitality became indispensable. The contemplative life is meant to cultivate our ability to open our hearts to the stranger we encounter both in our outer worlds as well as within.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD Desert Mothers and Fathers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated and Explained