Cuthbert and self isolation
On this day 20 March in 687 AD St Cuthbert died in his hermit cell on Inner Farne Island. So today is St Cuthbert's Day in honour of one of the most popular saints of Britain. I think he might have had much to teach us about making the best use of physical isolation from others. In his youth Cuthbert cared for sheep, either as a shepherd boy, or as a guard for the flock. That surely must have involved a lot of solitary time. Later, having had a vision as a child that made him decide to dedicate his life to God, he became a monk. Eventually he became Abbott of Lindisfarne and then a Bishop. As a bishop he travelled and preached as he walked over the rough hills of his diocese. In between those journeys he spent time as a hermit on Farne Island - chosen self-isolation in order to deepen his relationship with God and so be more useful to those who needed his spiritual guidance. For Cuthbert, to be human was to live in dependence on God, aware of his constant presence. You...