Having now preached this Gospel again, I would note that it is precisely in the wilderness that Christ is lifted up. It is when we wander in places that seem barren and desolate that he is to be sought and found. Lenten disciplines do not make the desert; they unveil the one we are already in. They bring us to consciousness of our need for mercy so thar we may cry out for mercy from the One who has come to meet us where we are, often lost, wounded, and afraid.
The Rev. Bill Carroll serves as Rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Athens, Ohio. His parish blog is at here