Gospel of Mark, chapter 1:4

A school principal called one of his teachers at home to find out why he was not in school. He was greeted by a small child who whispered: “Hello?”
Presuming it was the child of the teacher, the principal asked:
“Is your Daddy home?”
“Yes,” answered the whispering child.
“May I talk with him?”
“No.”
The principal changed his tactics:
“Is your Mommy there?”
“Yes.”
“May I talk with her?”
Again the small voice whispered, “No.”
“All right,” said the exasperated principal, “Is there any one there besides you?”
“Yes,” whispered the child, “A policeman.”
“A policeman? Now, may I speak with the policeman?”
“No, he’s busy.”
“Busy doing what?”.
“Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the fireman,” came the child’s answer.
“The fireman? Has there been a fire in the house or something?” asked the worried principal.
“No.”
“Then what are the police and fireman doing there?”
Still whispering, the young voice replied with a soft giggle,“ They are looking for me.”

As long as this child kept hiding from his parents, he could not be found. In today’s scripture, John the Baptist kept calling out to the people to come out into the open desert and let God find them. He was like the fireman calling out to the ”lost” child. But, the child would have to leave his hiding place and come out into the open for the fireman, the policeman, and his parents to find him.
In the scriptures, the desert has come to mean a place of encounter with God. It was in the desert that the people of Israel learnt the ways of God. There they became God’s own people and the Lord became their God. Jesus, before beginning his public ministry, spent forty days and nights in the desert. It was a time of deepening his personal relationship with God. By calling the people into the desert, John was calling them to let go of false hopes and securities and learn to trust in God alone.

John the Baptist lived what he preached. By his unconventional lifestyle, he showed that the meaning of life is not to be found in the abundance of material possessions but in a relationship with God. Simplicity of life and detachment from unnecessary worldly cares free the heart for a personal relationship with God. To go into the desert is the first step in true repentance. It means abandoning our usual distractions and putting ourselves in a situation where God can easily reach us.

Entering into the desert like John the Baptist, and like Jesus at the beginning of His public ministry, is to leave behind the usual props of life on which we tend to depend. We lean on these props in our jobs, in passing relationships, in routine religious observances, and in the gaudy distractions of the world. God cannot enter into our lives as long as we are absorbed by these things.

When your heart is full of worldly attractions, God cannot enter in. You have first to let go of whatever enslaves your heart; and this letting go is symbolized by a journey into the desert. It is the first step in true repentance for our sins.

Fr. Hugh Duffy