"I am not asking you
to take this wilderness from me,
to remove this place of starkness
where I come to know
the wildness within me,
where I learn to call the names
of the ravenous beasts
that pace inside me,
to finger the brambles
that snake through my veins,
to taste the thirst
that tugs at my tongue.

But send me
tough angels,
sweet wine,
strong bread:
just enough."
        Jan L. Richardson, In Wisdom’s Path

I have not wanted to let go of this past Sunday’s scripture reading, the story of Jesus in the wilderness. As we speak about our spiritual journeys during this Lent, our own wilderness experiences figure highly in how we tell our larger story.  I am thankful for this yearly retelling of Jesus, walking his own temptation path, being lured toward promises we all have encountered.

We are a culture that hungers for much….riches, recognition, objects that shine and dazzle. We are offered  ways to feed that hunger that are not nourishing and we often pull right up to the table. Jesus’ temptation is similar and can be a beacon of light for us as we reach toward whatever it is that offers a quick fix to a deep longing. Often the food that is placed before us will not feed what our soul desires.We need ‘strong bread’ to fill that empty space.

In a culture that offers fear in daily doses, we’d love to believe that safety is something that can be bought and sold. We try many ways to make it so but we know that living is full of risks and surprises that will constantly be in our path. We don’t want to dash our foot against a stone or have to watch as our children trip and fall. Yet we walk by faith and pray for the goodness of those who walk with us knowing that life will certainly bring dangers but also the out-stretched hand of a fellow traveler walking in the guise of God.

We are obsessed with power, what we might own, how we might rule over what we own, how we might eventually be King or Queen of the Hill. It is difficult not to buy into this pursuit in a society that makes gods out of  young  singers or athletes only to watch the rug being pulled out from under their fragile spirits as we shake our heads and refuse to see our part in their downfall.

Jesus was tempted to pay dearly for his deep hunger, offered false safety and unrealistic power and his answer was "Beat it!"  It is clear that his wilderness walk, like ours, prepares us for traveling with the spirit in ways only God can imagine….with tough angels, sweet bread, and strong bread. Just enough.

Have a blessed weekend……..