Of Deserts and Mountaintops

Know when to stay, and when to leave

If you are in a Lenten journey as I am, each week brings a new reflection, and carries more weight than perhaps other times of the year. If you haven’t heard of Lent, it’s a time of deeper reflection and prayer within many churches. It’s set for 40 days (Sundays non withstanding), which mirror the time spent in the desert by Christ, and earlier the 40 years of wandering by the fleeing Hebrews from Egypt led by Moses.

So, speaking of the time in the desert, we’re all familiar with those times of dryness, times where we feel empty, isolated, and in silence. In the desert it’s easy to wonder what meaning your life has, where your purpose is, and even if God is paying attention.

The desert is a place we least want to stay, but in it our senses are often sharpened to the least sound and movement. Speaking spiritually, it’s also that place where we need to be present and not rush, to listen carefully and rest amid the apparent barrenness. Just like the desert, we may not appear to have life or growth, but when you look closely, you find those signs of life that exist and thrive in spite of the harsh environment we’re in.

The desert is only a wasteland if we don’t stay put for a while, allow it to form us, and by transformed by it. While I’ve never watched an episode, I’m sure this is the takeaway from every Bear Grylls’ episode.

I literally moved to a desert, away from familiarity, friends and family. So, I related to a recent sermon from our pastor who also felt led to the desert, far from his more tropical home of the Philippines. He reflected that in trusting that time and place, he was able to see differently, and shine differently. It’s not always pleasant, but does shape you.

He felt that without the desert, you will never be led up the mountain.

Which leads us to the following week’s reflection on the transfiguration of Christ. With a few of his inner circle of apostles, Jesus encounters two of the heroes of faith - Moses and Elijah, and is transfigured, glowing in dazzling white. As any student would do, the reaction is to stay there, pitch tents and remain.

Yet, as we know about our own “mountaintop moments,” like a big promotion at work, or a big goal achieved, they are not meant to last forever. At some point, as this story relates, we need to come down, get back to our mission, and use the moment to motivate us forward.

They are two very different worlds, the desert and the mountain. Yet both transform, both are important, and both have their time and purpose.

I feel I’ve been in the desert for nearly two years in the spiritual sense, but these passages remind me that this season has a purpose, will pass, and perhaps send me to the mountain. While I’m here, I have gained a stronger sense of the divine, of not being alone, and finding the life within that at first glance seemed to be barren. Staying put is no longer passive, but preparation.

After all, there is a mountain waiting for me, when it’s time.