The desert is a theme that appears a number of times in the Bible. In one context, the desert is a wild, dangerous place far removed from any town or city. In this sense, someone in such a desert longs for the safety of a human community. The desert also is a place where one can go to spend time with God without human distractions. It is a place where a believer can go back to the roots of their faith and hear God guiding and strengthening them. It is place someone can go to retreat from the demands of everyday life and draw nearer to God. The desert as a place to be closer to God is a theme that is common at this time of year, when we reflect on growing in our life in Christ, as we prepare to celebrate the great events of our salvation.
Moses led the Hebrew people into the desert to Mt. Sinai, where God gave them the Ten Commandments and formed them into his covenant people with the fundamental institutions as his people. The Hebrew people spent the next 40 years in the wilderness to grow into becoming the People of the Covenant. Elijah spent time in the wilderness as he went to Mt. Sinai to return to the roots of his and his peoples' lives in the Lord. Jesus spent 40 days and nights in prayer to defeat Satan's temptations and to prepare for his mission.
We cannot go to an actual desert. However, we can take time to draw closer to God in prayer, meditation and Bible reading, so we can grow in our own life in Christ. This will help us to know our Lord more clearly, to love him more deeply and to follow him more nearly. Thus, we will be able to celebrate with greater joy all Christ did for us, so we can be at one with God.
