Repent! Change direction!  Make a sacrifice! Take back my life, my priorities! Is that the desert? The place where I meet and confront my demons?  The things that distract me from what is important in life, what truly matters and gives meaning to my life!

Why go there? To become more focussed, more aware of, present to, the great mystery of Jesus dying on a tree and rising again on the third day.

The desert in Scripture is the domain of dark, evil forces, where wild beasts lurk and threaten.  Satan’s territory. The space where Satan rules or likes to think he does!  But the desert is also a place of solitude and withdrawal from human society and a space of special intimacy with God.  Jesus goes there to be tempted, to be “put to the test,” by Satan.  Why? To test his resolve to carry out his messianic mission of the Father’s will.  Jesus enters into Satan’s territory deliberately, to begin his campaign against the powers of evil.  He confronts Satan not with a blast of divine lightning, but in his frail human nature, empowered by the Spirit. 

The lives we lead, the pace of life, rarely allows us to go into the desert for these 40 days of Lent.  But it is a time of reflection, to make time for reflection amidst the busy day-to-day routine.  A challenge in itself!  Requiring a determined effort!  Failure is always a reality!  The evils forces, the wild beast, wins when we give in and give up too easily! When we don’t get up, start again and keep going, keep trying.  Jesus fell three times on the way to his crucifixion.  Falling is not the issue.  It’s the getting back up again and again and again.  That’s where God’s grace and care comes in. To keep getting back up and keep trying!  Persevering! God be with you this Lent!