The Desert as Soul-Making Space

"As we have seen, the desert provides the environment for soul making. It is there we learn the lessons of the gift of tears…they teach us that love requires freedom, spontaneity, and the grace to stand back and allow another simply to be. The desert teaches us that love can often mean the willingness to stand guard over another’s solitude. Here is the basic paradox of soul making: in order for me to be myself, I need to be able to be alone; in order to be myself, I need to be with others.” ~~~ Alan Jones