Deserts seem to be the place, where a man’s intellect and heart are tried, and tested, by an arid desolation that permeates to the core of one’s entire being. They also seem to be a reminder of the place that one left behind, when pursuing wisdom, and the incarnate Word. Though to be completely honest, a desert must not have been apparent to one prior to taking up the labor of seeking wisdom, and the grace of baptism. We must have been severely distracted, blissfully ignorant, or in serious denial of the severity and danger of this condition.
It seems to me there are a few options in response to this season of aridity: distraction, despair, or persistence. To distract is to be in denial. To despair is to be buried alive. To persist is to grow. It also seems that this desert never really goes away but lingers as we are reminded of what we left behind. Perhaps as we persist in wisdom, this reminder of the desert only grows more painful, and distasteful when it presents itself. It’s as if to go back to it, would only bring greater torment, because your eyes have opened to the truth, and you cannot unsee, or unlearn what you now know.
So, the only option is to persist and go on. To do anything else, seems unbelievably unreasonable, and irrational.
EAR