Made for Goodness: And Why This Makes All the Difference

by Desmond Tutu

holiness is not a solo quest. Even the solitaries of ancient memory and modern description do not account themselves as people who are alone. The Desert Fathers and Mothers relied on their spiritual strength and a firm recognition of the presence of God to sustain their solitude. Those who withdraw to the wilderness become keenly aware of the companionship of the plants, birds, and animals that make their homes in the places that other human beings have not yet populated. The Bible offers God’s companionship for the journey. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,” Jesus says in Matthew’s Gospel. In the rush of modern life, these are words we need to hear. “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” God invites us not only to a different way of doing, but to a different way of being. We are invited to be at home in our own lives. What does it mean to be at home in our own lives? Ideally, our physical homes are the places where we shed all striving and pretense. They are the places where no artifice is required in our self-presentation. Being at home in our own lives is a kindred experience. When we are at home in our lives, thought and action are all of a piece.