[The Desert Stories] point to humility and a nonjudgmental way of life. They compare words with works, speaking with silence, and prayer with thoughts. They offer concrete suggestions about the best way to be a teacher and about how to relate to human rules. They stress the importance of service to the neighbor and they show the fruits of obedience, prayer, and simple trust in God. Undergirding all these concrete hints, suggestions, and counsels is the constant reminder of God's loving and merciful presence in our lives.
— Henri J. M. Nouwen, Desert Wisdom by Yushi Nomura, translator