Wilderness. What comes to mind? Expanse, wild animals, unknown outcomes, adventure. Ann Siddall, an Australian blogger writes, “Christianity began in a culture where “desert” and “wilderness” were familiar environments, both respected and feared as the place where angels and demons might be found.
In wild, desolate places God’s people have been shaped by their struggles,
and have found that rocks have yielded water, and manna has appeared on the ground.
In this country may we not forget the metaphors of wilderness and desert,
so familiar to indigenous people and early settlers.
Our journey may be into an inner desert: a place where motivation and desire is purified,
and we find ourselves refined and strengthened in spirit.
Jesus, whose formation included wilderness, will be at our side to pray for us,
will wipe away our tears, and place bread into the hands which have clutched at stones.”
(Stillpoint Spirituality Centre)
Let us hear Jesus’ wilderness experience.
“In the wilderness, where for 40 days (Jesus) was tempted” (1-2). It is much like Mark’s account, “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him” (1:12-13). So often I get caught up in the temptation stories that I miss the wilderness. Forty days with no food, forty night with only a stone for a pillow. Hungry, tired and alone Jesus wandered the desert; wandered the wilderness.
I don’t know about you, but wilderness in my imagination is almost always somewhere else, a foreign landscape. But we live in wilderness all the time. A place where we are challenged, face unknown circumstances, are pushed to our limits. Our wilderness might be where we feel isolated and alone, even with people around us. Life might be good, save for that one thing that isolates, that hurt, that makes you worry. The wilderness might be an internal place filled with “what ifs” and “if onlys.” Your wilderness might be a health challenge that seems to never end; grief that pulls you to a dark place, a child that wanders scary paths.
Cheryl Lawrie reminds us that “we actively have to enter wilderness in the act of being faithful. Truthfully, the wilderness is always where I am right now and faith is the courage to stay with it when I’d rather pretend I am anywhere else” (http://holdthisspace.org.au/).
Lent is a season of wilderness. Reminiscent of the forty years of wandering in the desert, seeking God’s promise land. The land “the Lord your God is giving you,” “the land flowing with milk and honey.” But the Israelites were lost for almost two generations in the wilderness. Even Moses who led them on this journey was never able to enter the promised land, only to look upon it. God fulfills the promise, God ends their wandering and they find rest and make a home. When our wilderness seems to go on forever, know that God is working, God is faithful, God will help us find rest.
Our theme for Lent is “Return to me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12). This is God’s request for us to faithfully return to God even when we are wandering in our wilderness.
Set down your worries, invite God into your wilderness.
Open your hearts to God as we do self- examination, as we pray, as we fast or let go of things in our lives.
The next six weeks of Lent represents the forty days of Jesus wandering in the wilderness. Jesus was tempted, tested and tried during his wilderness experience. He knows our hardships and our struggles. Scriptures tells of three temptations; human need and hunger, desire for power and testing God, but there were more. Forty days’ worth of struggle; so Jesus knows your pain, Jesus has walked in your shoes. Invite Jesus with you on this journey through your wilderness.
On Ash Wednesday, I was asked to visit a man named Jim in the emergency room. His wife had just died, and he asked for a Presbyterian pastor. We had never met, but I asked him about his wife Elaine, how long they had been married. They had shared coffee that morning, gone to an appointment together and then she just collapsed from a heart attack. Jim said his wife was the one who went to church; that was not really his thing. But I asked him if he wanted me to pray? He said yes and he would pray with me. I thanked God for welcoming his wife into everlasting glory and welcoming her home. We are all on a journey and we do not know when or how it will end. Lent is a time we reflect on our life, our death and our wilderness journey with God. The eight of you who came to the Ash Wednesday time, had ashes placed on your forehead to remind you it is from ashes that you come and to ashes you will return. It is also a time to be reminded of God’s love. As I placed ashes on your head I said, “from love you came and to love you will return. “Return to me with all your heart” says the Lord.
An amazing wilderness experience happened this week in Humboldt county. Did you hear about this? Leia and Caroline wanted to go for a hike, but their mother Misty was busy doing something. So these eight and five year old sisters start their journey out into the backyard forest. They go past the marker their parents had set, because they wanted an adventure. Well they got one. Soon they found themselves lost. Eight and five alone in the wilderness. They could not find their way in the tall woods and dense foliage. To make matters worse, it starts to rain and soon it gets dark. The temperature drops down to 38 degrees and they are all on their own. The 5-year-old was crying, and Leia comforted her saying, “Keep thinking happy family thoughts.” They spent the night huddled close for warmth. The young girls walked about 6 miles trying to get home, but soon discover they were going in a circle. So they did what their father had taught them, they stayed put. They created their “huckleberry home” under some trees and used Caroline’s jacket as a shelter. They could stay put because they knew in their hearts that their daddy would find them. That belief their Daddy would come gave them hope and peace. They spent two nights in the wilderness before they were finally rescued 44 hours later.
Whether it is 40 years, 40 days or 40 hours wilderness can be a scary place.
Moses walked with God through his journey.
Jesus was accompanied by the Holy Spirit in the wilderness. It is good to have physical and/or spiritual accompaniment on our journeys. Let’s learn from Leia and Caroline to trust that our daddy, our heavenly father, will find us no matter our wilderness. Trust that we are exactly where we need to be, and we will find rest and rescue. Amazingly the girls were dry, hungry and excited to be reunited with their parents. I imagine that when we return our hearts to God it is much like seeing the girls wrapped in their crying and joyful parents’ arms when found. That is how it feels when we return to God. Hearts swelling with love, joy and celebration.
We are all on a journey; the journey of life, the journey with Christ to the cross, the journey with God in our wilderness.
No matter our temptations, our raw feelings or our struggles, we will all reach the promised land. Maybe not in this life, but ultimately, we find rest with God. May we invite God on our journey. May we be accompanied by the Holy Spirit; may we travel with our brother Christ. Amen.
