Have you ever spent some time in a desert? They can be beautiful places. We can be away from all the distractions of life, and yet at the same time the desert experience can make us feel very connected. Being in a desert can be a mystical experience. We may well sense a connection with the wider universe when angels are close by and past generations not far away. And if we wanted to hear God speaking to us, then being in a desert is a good place to be. This is why we often find prophets going off into the desert, to hear and to proclaim the word of God.

   

This is where we find John the Baptist evoking the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” As a result, crowds of people went out to John and responded to his call. 

Let’s first remember John’s solitude in the desert. He went somewhere where he could be focussed on God – somewhere that made being spiritual easy. This could be our first challenge this Advent – to find an uncluttered place where in solitude we can focus on our inner being – to reconnect with our spirit – to hear more clearly the call of God to prepare his way. Our second challenge will be to not linger too long in our solitude, because it can turn into loneliness. God has not made us to be cut off from others, whether it’s because of our sinfulness or saintliness. Often when we think of John the Baptist’s ministry, we focus on individual acts of repentance. (Please repent of your sins, if that is what you feel called to do!) I would, however, like to invite you to refocus on the bigger picture: A crowd gathered around John the Baptist, and in their baptism they were entering into a new community of faith and hope. The Advent journey takes us from busyness to solitude and back into community. Advent is a time for us to regain that sense of being a people who, together, wait for the Lord. As Isaiah said, “And all people will see God’s salvation.”