"In Thomas Merton's words...we have been 'destined from all eternity to bring one another closer to God by our love, our patience, our forbearance, and our efforts at mutual understanding.' We grow up into a life with God, built on a firm foundation, as we learn to dwell in a place with particular people.
"...Stability demands that we do the long, hard work of life with other people in the place where we are...[and yet]...Despite our longing for community, we often hide from a 'state of mutual visibility with others' because it is more difficult than cultivating a personal spirituality and sense of tranquility...Choosing a spirituality that 'works for me' is so much easier than dealing with the people who show up at the church in my neighborhood."
-Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, in his book, The Wisdom of Stability : Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture
