"Wilderness" | Reflection by Donna Violante (Vestry Class of 2024)

In thinking about the word “wilderness,” I recall my much younger years, when the Outward Bound program was a popular summer experience for teens to leave their comfort zone, enter the wilderness,  and be physically and mentally challenged with the goal of developing emotional strength and character.

Our Lenten gospel begins in the wilderness, with Jesus being led into the dry and barren desert by the Holy Spirit for a time of solitude, prayer, fasting and also temptation.  Jesus’s wilderness is a place for testing, purification and renewal to prepare him for the fulfillment of his earthly ministry.

For Christian adults the wilderness experience can symbolize a time in life when we are struggling, perhaps with loss, uncertainty, financial, physical or emotional burdens, and possibly even unhealthy lifestyles. It may represent a time when we are most discouraged and our faith is being tested by personal conflicts, pressures and anxieties.

Let us as followers of Christ use Lent as a time for reflection and commitment, that even when life seems unfair or pain seems unbearable, we resist the temptation to lose our faith. We consciously choose to believe that Jesus will meet us in the wilderness, walk through the desert at our side, and bring us to a place of peace and joy.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (Peter 5:10)

Words in the Wilderness - Walk through the season of Lent with Trinity, one word at a time. Every day (except on Sundays) we will post a photo and a brief refection written by someone in our Trinity community. https://www.trinitynewhaven.org/words-in-the-wilderness