Thhe Journey Begins

One of the beautiful messages in Lent for us In our readings for next Sunday,  (Matthew 4:1-11), is that the incarnation of God in Jesus is made manifest in all his humanity so that we may see ourselves in him and challenge ourselves to ask: "could I really do that?" In this reading we are told that “Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”

I have been fortunate to have travelled fairly extensively in my life, both for business and pleasure. Over the years I have observed that there are two types of journeymen. I would categorize these as being either tourists or travelers. The tourist travels through his journey in comfort, ensuring that his experiences are familiar and safe. He makes sure that he takes “his stuff” from back home with him. There are many vendors along the way who, for a price, would be willing to accommodate the tourist’s expectations and satisfy his needs, most of which are likely superficial and soon forgotten when he returns home armed with photos, souvenirs, and fading memories.

On the other hand, a traveler is one whose goal is to enjoy the journey as part of a total experience in which the destination is just a part of a continuum. He travels to open his mind and spirit to new experiences and perhaps delve into the unknown in the hope that something new might be learned and be revealed. The difference between the traveler and the tourist is that the traveler becomes the experience while the tourist rides on the outside and looks in.

A few years ago, my wife and I decided to travel to the Galapagos Islands; our primary goal was to be immersed in this new learning experience as an expedition and be as totally involved as circumstances would permit. This required the need for us to leave our “comfort zone” and challenge the status quo.

There were no cell phones, email, internet, TV or evening entertainment. While our accommodations were relatively sparse, they were more than satisfactory, unlike the way we might usually travel Yet, it was one of the most exhilarating trips We’ve ever taken. We were living in the experience, imbedded in the journey; it became an expedition in which we were completely focused on the experience, unencumbered by distractions. The trip was one of personal transformation in which new perspectives on life and interests were born and continue to linger not just as vacation memories but as building blocks for what might lie ahead.

I relate Jesus’ time in the desert to our journey as travelers, not just incidental tourists. Jesus left his comfort zone to prepare for what he knew was to come. He became totally immersed and resisted anything that distracted him from his goal. So, as we begin Lent and follow Jesus into the desert, we are reminded that the purpose of our existence is to know the presence of God in our lives. There is a seed of desire in each of us, a fundamental motivation, a basic longing for the fulfillment of that purpose.

Augustine tells us that ‘Thou has made us for thyself and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.’ Accordingly, we are not only born with God at our center, but we are born with a heart full desire of for God. This yearning is our fundamental motive force; it is the human spirit. It is the energy behind everything we seek and aspire to. And if indeed we are in intimate union with God in the center, then the soul’s desire is God’s desire. The soul’s love for God is God’s love for the soul. (Gerald May, Dark Night of the Soul)