Butler writes almost to excess about Cuthbert. In the midst of his thoroughgoing encomium, Butler writes one short sentence that beautifully captures something striking about this saint of the 7th century: “His zeal for justice was most ardent; but nothing seemed ever to disturb the peace and serenity of his mind.”

In these days where every news cycle is an affront to anyone who yearns for justice (let alone truth), it is often extraordinarily difficult to maintain anything that resembles internal peace or serenity.

I recently discussed with my therapist how the constant barrage of political lying, cowardice, and destruction of the persons and institutions that I care so deeply about was beginning to take its toll on my own quality of life. After further consideration of why this was the case and what I might do about it, my therapist and I together came upon what I believe is most key: the necessity of doing one’s own work. That is, when my focus is on doing the “Tim things” that are mine to do, that are my work in this world, that are my art and my contribution, then I do not draw ultimate meaning (or despair at the absence of meaning) from the events emanating from the injustices of others–instead, I draw data that can inform my work and not derail it.

And, dipping back into Butler, I find that Cuthbert was very much this sort of saint. He went about doing “Cuthbert things” (which, for my taste, Butler runs on ad nauseam about–but as Cuthbert was British and so was Butler, it’s understandable).

Audre Lorde described the life-sustaining power of engaging in those activities that connect most deeply to the truth, as she identifies as the erotic, within each of us. In her essay, “The Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic As Power,” Lorde writes:

The aim of each thing which we do is to make our lives and the lives of our children richer and more possible. Within the celebration of the erotic in all our endeavors, my work becomes a conscious decision–a longed-for bed which I enter gratefully and from which I rise up empowered.

Cuthbert and Audre… and you and me!