Renowned author and theologian Philip Yancey has recently written a devotional book entitled “A Companion in Crisis: A Modern Paraphrase of John Donne’s Devotions”. I chose to use this book as my daily devotional throughout the month of February. John Donne wrote his devotions in 1623 while he was serving as the priest at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London England during a bubonic plague epidemic. Donne, himself began to show symptoms of the illness and it was during this time that he wrote these devotions. Yancey says, “Donne burned, raved and raged. By recording his encounters for posterity, he became a guide who can help us face our own fears and confusion in the midst of a crisis, while also finding a way through it.” It is amazing how these devotions, thanks to Yancey’s modern updating, can truly speak to our own fears and confusion and concerns during this current pandemic. But as we begin the season of lent, I also began to see how Jesus faced his own crises- not the least of which was his own death, but today that crisis is the story of his 40 days in the wilderness. I began to find connections that I had never realized before- in part because we feel like have been in the wilderness for 2 years. I will share some of Yancey and Donne’s thoughts in a moment but first we have to realize a few things about this oft familiar gospel story.
In Luke chapter 3 Jesus is publicly baptized. I barely remember the story that we heard two months ago, but what I do remember is how Luke is rather abrupt with the story. Unlike the birth story which includes songs and lengthy details, the baptism is very brief. At the end of Luke chapter 4 Jesus gives his first publicly recorded sermon, stating that he is the fulfilment of the words found in Isaiah. This publicity garners both amazement and anger. But what is interesting is that in between these two very public stories is a very private moment. We are in-between two public stories of Jesus in which, Jesus most have felt very alone. Yes, Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, leading us to believe that the fellowship of the Holy Spirit was with him. And yes, it certainly states that during those forty days he was tempted by the devil, so we can assume the devil was his “travelling companion” but it must have been a very lonely, even isolating, time for Jesus. He clearly felt some very human feelings- not the least of which was hunger, having not eaten for forty days. Jesus is famished and that is when the devil tries to take advantage of his very human emotions.
Yancey shares one of Donne’s devotions on solitude that speak to the challenges of our own solitude that occurred during the early days of the pandemic. He writes, “If our greatest misery is sickness, its greatest misery is solitude. Fear of contagion daunts the helpers I need, and even the physician hesitates to visit. As a result, I lie here alone, isolated, a torture that hell itself does not threaten.” The passage continues a little further, “Solitude goes against the natural order, for all of God’s actions manifest a love of community…On earth, families, cities, churches and colleges all comprise of multitudes. Immediately after pronouncing creation good. God saw that it was not good for humans to be alone. So he made Adam a helper, one to increase our number on earth…In contrast, with an infectious disease I’m sentenced to solitude, left utterly alone.”
While Jesus was led by the Spirit and had the devil there to tempt him. Jesus was very much alone in the wilderness. For much of the history of God’s people, especially the Israelites, they have a complicated relationship with solitude and the wilderness. Guess what, I love being on my own especially if it’s along a trail or sitting by a campsite. As a borderline introvert I enjoy spending time by myself…but only for a short while. Eventually, I crave human interaction let alone contact. Conversely the wilderness can be a beautiful place- a perfect place to recharge…but after a short while one often begins to crave the conveniences of civilization. For the Israelites, and I would argue for many of us, the wilderness was both a place to get to know God, encounter God, develop a relationship with God, and a place of trials, tribulations and testing, a dangerous place in which they were punished for their disobedience.
Wendy Lloyd in her commentary says, “It was in the wilderness that God met them in cloud and fire, and it was in the wilderness that God’s law was revealed. But it was also in the wilderness that they wandered for 40 years and they hungered and thirsted; it was in the wilderness that they succumbed to the temptations of power and comfort and worshipped a golden calf instead of the God who rescued them.” Donne, as he lay sick in his bed, struggling with the solitude, also has some beautiful encounters with God but struggles with anger and discomfort.
Jesus also hungers and thirsts and faces temptations in his wilderness, but unlike the Israelites, conquers those temptations. Jesus also faces this solitude and finds a way for it to strengthen rather than weaken him. In part because each time that the devil tempts him, he picks humility and obedience over pride and pleasure. Through his ability to be humble and obedient Jesus is then prepared to preach good news to the poor, freedom for the oppressed and the year of the Lord’s favour!
I want to say to you that this is what our lenten journey this year should be like- a time of solitude, and reflection and humility in amongst the tempting wilderness BUT let’s get real! We have been in a two year long lenten journey. We have faced a lot of solitude and feeling cut off from our community. Many of us see wearing a mask in public as a very symbol of humility. And we have been wondering in this wilderness- full of ups and downs, full of wonderful encounters with God and deeply devilish temptations. So how do we celebrate or live this church season when it feels like all we have been doing is living it!
Maybe this lent it is about granting time for our inner- solitary- private faith to align with our humble-challenging-public faith. After Donne reflects on or laments his solitude, he realizes that sometimes solitude also brings one closer to God. He writes, “I remind myself that Moses was commanded to approach the Lord alone, and that God came to Jacob when he was alone, and then wrestled with him through the night. Perhaps a state of solitude and desertion best disposes us for God’s drawing near? Like Jacob, I am left alone to wrestle with you and with my conscience, Lord, in a manner that would not occur if others were there to console me?”
As we begin our lenten journey with communion today may this be a time in which we can walk closer with God- through our solitude and wilderness. May this be a time in which we can turn with humble obedience so that we are strengthened privately for the public life of faith. May this be a time in which we can reorient ourselves and connect with each other and God. Amen