Solitude bears compassion
Compassion is the fruit of solitude and the basis for all ministry. The purification and transformation that take place in solitude manifest themselves in compassion…
In solitude we realize that nothing human is alien to us, that the roots of all conflict, war, injustice, cruelty, hatred, jealousy, and envy are deeply anchored in our own heart.
–
Henri Nouwen.
(1981)
The Way of the Heart: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. pg. 10