Our Time In The Desert

 

There are questions we answer with our lips, and those we answer with our lives. Lent is an important part of our journey. Each step we take has been walked at one time in the gospels. We know that this our spiritual journey begins in the desert and leads us to the cross and to a tomb and “ends” with Easter, where our journey to God begins again. In our readings for this upcoming Sunday, Luke 4:1-13 , the first Sunday in Lent, we are told that “Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”  What do these temptations or tests mean to us in our lives today? 

I have been fortunate to have travelled fairly extensively in my life, both for business and pleasure. Admittedly travelling is one of my passions, although in recent years I am more selective about my destination with regard to the risk to benefit associated with where and why I am travelling. Is the payoff worth the sacrifice? 

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 pleasant 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 up to new experiences and perhaps into the unknown in the hope that something new will learned and be revealed. 

A few years ago, we decided to take a trip to Galapagos; our goal was to experience it as up close and personal as we could, requiring that we leave our “comfort zone” and all the attachments of our lives back home. In addition to there being no cell phones, internet or TV, our accommodations were acceptable but far from luxurious. While this was a far cry from the way we usually travel, it was one of the most enjoyable trips I’ve ever taken. We were living in the journey; completely absorbed by the experience and focused on the experience and unencumbered by distractions. 

Jesus’ time in the desert reminds me of our journey as a traveler not a tourist. We left our comfort zones and worldly distractions and became on with the trip. If our desire is to recognize the presence of God in all things and in us, we may have to look for Him in unfamiliar places. Like Jesus, we place ourselves in God’s hands and listen for his promptings and his will for us.