| February 2010 |
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Dear All, It is too many years since I saw the film 'Lawrence of Arabia'. The film of course starred Peter O'Toole and included some staggering photography in the desert. In the story Lawrence and his men make their way across the desert. They are riding on camels and the journey is long. At the back of the camel train one of the men falls asleep. Exhausted he falls from his camel but no one notices him. Either way, whether the fall knocked him out or whether he was so tired he did not wake, by the time he rouses himself the rest of his companions have disappeared into the night and their tracks have been covered over by the wind that blows across the sand. He is on his own and the sun starts to come up. What to do? He knows that the desert is unforgiving and that if he is to live he must act decisively. He begins to walk in the direction that he believes will lead him to water and life. As he walks he casts off his belongings... he cannot carry them and they only serve to slow him down. Only one thing matters now - survival. Behind him he leaves a trail of outer clothes and the trappings of war. His gun is of no use to him here, nor his bandolier filled with bullets. Only one thing is needed: water. You will have to hunt out the film on DVD to remind yourself of what happens next! This month we enter the church's season of Lent — traditionally a time for a Christian detox, an opportunity given to us to strip away the complexity of so much of our relationship with God and to seek one thing only: God Himself. It is not a comfortable thing to do but it is essential. It is not an easy thing to do but where did we pick up the false impression that following Christ was easy? The desert is quiet: but most of our lives are filled with noise. It would be good if silence might find a way into our personal and corporate prayer. The desert is demanding, taking more from us than it gives — taking up some discipline to help us grow in Christ has long been recommended in this season, whether that be bible study or prayer, charitable service or self examination. But the desert is also the place where God's people will find themselves. It is the place where Jesus worked out His vocation (seeing through the distractions we recall in the 'Temptations'). It is in the desert that we are told to 'prepare the way of the Lord'. And it is in the desert that the scriptures tell us that the kingdom will first be seen as its barren wastes blossom and streams of living water begin to flow. So let us pray that we will be guided by the Spirit through this desert season and come to a greater knowledge of God as a result. Alec
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