The Desert

This evening, I had the opportunity to spend some time reading in Mark. I had the privilege to read a paper by my friend, Kevin, and this led me to Mark's Gospel. At St. Joseph's, I wrote a paper entitled, The Good News Came Out of the Desert, that was based on the Gospel accounts of Jesus in the desert. Consequently, I thought that I had read the first chapter of Mark multiple times. (Well, I have.) However, tonight, it was like a different story. Specifically, verse 12 seemed totally different.

"At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert,"

Somehow, the Spirit never stood out when reading this. My jaw dropped when I read this tonight. What in the world does this mean? The Spirit sent Jesus into the desert where he was tempted by Satan. What does this mean in our individual and collective journeys? It seems like a lot of Christianity wants to create this protective shield around us. I kind of get this impression from the current institution of higher education that I am attending. (By the way, I really like this school.) However, the entry is surrounded by this really large, beautiful fence. What is this structure fencing in or out? God doesn't seem to have put a fence around Jesus. The Spirit sent him into the desert.