"In whatever place you live, do not easily leave it."
—Abba Anthony, 3rd century AD

“Without passing your own door, you can know the world. Without looking through the window, you can see the road to heaven. The farther you go, the less you know.”
—Lao-tzu, 7th century BC

Deep down in our bones, we seem to know that rapid change and constant motion are hazards to our spiritual health. Humans long for the simplicity of a life that blossoms into its fullness by becoming rooted in a place.

For the Christian tradition, the heart’s true home is a life rooted in the love of God. True peace is possible when our spirits are stilled and our feet are planted—and when we get this stability of heart deep down inside of us, real growth begins to happen.

The Wisdom of Stability speaks to each of us who seek an honest path of Christian transformation. A leader of the new monastic movement, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove shows how you can:

Cultivate stability by rooting yourself more deliberately in the place where you live.

Truly engage with the people you are with.

Slow down and participate in simpler rhythms of life.

Live in ways that speak to the deeper yearnings of the human heart.

“Stability may be the virtue that 21st-century Christians most ignore—and the virtue we are most called to embrace. This fine book will inspire you to look at your own life, asking ‘Where am I restless? Where might God be calling me to be rooted, to stay put?’”
—Lauren Winner, author of Mudhouse Sabbath and Girl Meets God

“Jonathan speaks out like the prophets of old, and calls us into an alternative lifestyle.”
—Tony Campolo, Professor Emeritus, Eastern University