Needing the Wilderness

Could you imagine going out into the wilderness today to seek repentance?

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camels hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. - Mark 1:4-8

Perhaps as a curiosity, or an oddity, we might venture to a strange place to see what all the fuss was about, just as one might go to the Himalayas to seek out a yogi, but I doubt a modern day baptist like John would attract a good deal of attention.

There must have been something more the people were searching for than we seek today.

Maybe we have too good a life to even consider going out to look for something else.  It could be we need to be needy to want a closer relationship with God.

The people who came from miles around, from the entire countryside, must have been desperate for help.

We do go out of our way for other things, though, don't we?  We will plan a trip to a foreign land to see the sights and experience the culture up close and personal.

And maybe that's all they were doing at first, just venturing out to see what others may have told them about.

Jesus even asks, what did you go out to see?

So, we may not know how much we need the wilderness, until we venture out into it.

It may require a touch of curiosity to get us going.

And once we go, we will be open to the experience.  And when we come back, others we know will know as well.

So, let us go and see what the fuss is about.  And maybe we will have something to share with those we love.

More to come...