Lent begins in the wilderness. … Even against our better judgment, we must begin these forty days by going alone to a wild place — in ourselves or in our lives. If we are fiercely honest with ourselves as we begin a Lenten journey toward greater openness, we must start by seeing things we would rather not see.
— Sarah Parsons, in A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent
The wilderness is a wild place. John the Baptist came from the wilderness wearing camel skins, eating locusts and wild honey, and proclaiming the coming of Christ. After his baptism, Jesus entered the wilderness and prepared for his ministry. The Desert Fathers and Mothers of the 3rd century moved to the desert so they could pray and commune with God without distractions.
We all end up in a wilderness at some point in our lives. Sometimes we enter the wilderness because we sense a call — we go on a silent retreat knowing that we will face the wildness of our thoughts and emotions as soon as we become still. We take an action that causes pain or conflict. Some of us enter the wilderness willingly — facing difficult truths about addictions or processing painful memories from the past. But often, desert experiences come without our choice — through illness, death, loss of jobs or dreams.
Whether we go willingly into the desert or, uncomfortably, simply find ourselves there, we can trust that we’re not alone. God meets us there in the wilderness, in the deserted places of our lives.
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