The Desert Sanctified

We have officially entered desert time. A time when we purposely make our way through the wilderness of our inner and outer lives. Thomas Merton said that Christ sanctified the desert. The only way we can discover this sanctification is to enter it. Jesus purposely went into the wilderness after he had been baptized. He had come so close to God and God had come so close to him. He needed to explore this relationship and begin to discover the treasures hidden there. He knew that his life was changing – or that he was called in a different direction. Has something ever stirred you so much that you began to question what you were doing in your life? Maybe you experienced a humming (as Jane Fonda has called it) deep within your soul? How do I follow this humming? Merton says that we must move into our own darkness. Once we spend time there, we will discover that it is being made holy.

Many years ago, I told the Godly Play story of the Good Shepherd at a home for children who had recently suffered abuse. As I entered the house it felt warm and inviting, and many of the children were just finishing their evening meal. I was told where I could go to tell a story for anyone who would want to come over to the circle. The children finished eating and I sat down to begin building the circle – inviting all who would like to join me there. There was one little girl who would not get near me. She stayed hidden behind a toy chest but would stick her head out from it as the story progressed. I began by moving the Good Shepherd and the sheep through the warm green grass and beside the cool water. I would notice her peeking out while I continued with the story. The Good Shepherd then showed the sheep how to get through places of danger. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the little girl slowly inching closer toward the circle. The ordinary shepherd did not lead the sheep but let them scatter. When the wolf came the ordinary shepherd ran away but the Good Shepherd came and stood between the sheep and the wolf and brought the sheep home to safety. When the wondering part of the story began the little girl was right beside me. I wondered if any of them knew the green grass or the sound of the Good Shepherd’s voice. I also wondered if any of them had known places of danger. When this wondering was introduced the little girl began to spill her story. She told her story with emotion – her place of danger. She also knew about Jesus and that he loved her. To respond to the story, she drew a large sun smiling and wrote Jesus loves. By going into her darkness, she found it sanctified — her life had changed God is with us as we move through our own wildernesses. The call is not to stay there but to allow God to transcend our deserts and bring us into the resurrection. I am sure you have a resurrection story too. How have some of your deserts been sanctified?