Wondering in the Wilderness

Like a festive carrot, politicians dangled Christmas in front of us in the hope that we would get Co-vid under control. But a mutinous mutation put pay to family plans as huge turkeys bought for many mouths to feed were reluctantly gobbled by the few… and still are! And through the 12 days of Christmas, my Prime Minister gave to me, dozens of mixed messages, hopes of injections, broken exam promises, 5 bloomin' tiers! Furlough schemes extended, more free school meals, two jabs apart and to 2021 an uncertain start!

This unsettling uncertainty is somewhere none of us want to be, but once again we are in the wilderness of lockdown. Once again we find ourselves lost in our homes as the signposts of daily routines have been uprooted and cast aside for we don't know how long. Moreover, the perceived destinations of the U6th and U5th towards which they have been travelling for the last 18 months have been wiped from their maps – it's no wonder many of them feel lost, frustrated and even angry at being left in a wilderness that is not of their making.

In ancient times, wildernesses were scary places – away from normality and its security, the wilderness was seen as a place to avoid or traverse as quickly as possible. And yet time and again throughout different biblical stories we see that the wilderness is a place where folks inadvertently met God and their lives were transformed, such as Abraham, Hagar, Jacob and Moses. Each one of them wandering in a wilderness, wondering, feeling lost, directionless and confused - and yet, it is in that uncomfortable place where God met them and transformed them – or at least their outlook. And whilst none were airlifted out of their uncomfortable predicaments, they learn from them as they catch sight of the bigger picture.

In the 8th century BC, the prophet Isaiah wrote at a time when his people were enduring a wilderness experience. Exiled from their homeland, they were away from the normality of their own culture and lacking the liberty to live their own lives. This exile was viewed as a harsh and scary wilderness and to these people in this uncomfortable predicament, Isaiah brought a message of hope:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland…I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen…”              Isaiah 43:18-20

Isaiah's message of hope was not that the wilderness would come to a sudden end, nor would they be rescued, but that they will be refreshed to endure the harsh conditions. For many of us, that offer of hope is not one we really want to hear. We live in a time and place whereby many of us have been fortunate enough to not have had to endure. Blessed by health and wealth, we have come to expect that if God truly loves us he'll shield us from life's nasties. And when that doesn't happen, we take it as evidence that God doesn't exist. Yet as the butterfly teaches, it's only the struggle of emerging from its cocoon that gives colour and strength to its wings. Butterflies whose cocoons have (by those with good intentions) been cut open to make life easier, are left unable to fly. God's desire for each one of us is for us to fly by faith and transform the wildernesses of others.

Whatever the wilderness you are in, however you are feeling at the beginning of this New Year, God has made a way for us through the difficulties and provided streams of living water to refresh us. Yet to be refreshed, we need to stop wandering and instead metaphorically kneel at the waters edge and drink.

We need to drink in the promise that we are not alone but that God is with us in the wilderness. Drink in the hope that something new will spring from this and drink in the assurance that each of us is chosen and loved by God.  The more we drink, the more we are refreshed and the more we are able to see beyond our current circumstances and trust in He who holds the future.

God bless & stay safe

Ian