Man of the Desert

Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Matthew 3:4 NKJV

We are bombarded with messages, overwhelmed by reflections—written, spoken, and even set to music. There are so many that they sometimes disrupt our harmonious spiritual balance. One of the great temptations of Christianity today is to seek people’s approval by presenting ourselves in a social and recreational way, focusing on conveying a pleasant message that appeals to people, leaving them with a sense of joy and fostering empathy—but without any inner stirring. At times I fear that I, too, am just one voice among many, adding words to others’ and amplifying noise and annoyance, and for this reason I wonder if I should continue. It is precisely then that I feel that fire that burned in Jeremiah’s bones, and I arm myself with all the sensitivity I can muster to continue offering food for thought, such as what you are reading now. Recent statistics, in fact, seem to confirm that the number of people seeking God is on the rise—a trend also reflected in Bible sales. In a world increasingly lacking in guiding figures, it is the youngest among us who are crying out for water in the desert. I want to join those who proclaim that “all things work together for good,” even as I fear the attitude of the crowds who followed Christ merely to satisfy a momentary need.

When I look to Scripture in search of examples to follow, I cannot help but look to him, of whom Jesus said that no greater prophet would arise. Yes, he—John the Baptist—who preached only: “Repent” (“Turn from your sins,” depending on the translation), drawing the crowds into the Judean desert. Biblically, the desert is a place of choice, of formation and preparation; often a place of refuge, at other times a land of escape. John, however, gathered people there to lead them to repentance. There comes a time when the Spirit carries us into the desert, drawing us away from the “ordinary” environment to help us discover the “extraordinary” around us. What I want to emphasize is that the first to go into the desert is the prophet, the orator. Jesus did so as well. In Hebrew, “desert” is defined by the term midbar, meaning “without words.” So we’re still a long way from that! Because while one aspect of the desert is that it’s a place of silence—where, to find God, we must listen and be still—everything around us tells us the exact opposite. In reality, we’re enveloped by general commotion, and when we manage to escape it, we’re engulfed by the sound coming from a screen. In the virtual world, we are conscious extras, rarely protagonists. The chaos is such that, just as in the outside world, we struggle immensely to perceive an inner silence. This is why the desert is also synonymous with rediscovering oneself. I therefore leave it to you to reflect on everything that has happened during this period.

The prophet wore a garment made of camel’s hair, as did Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). According to priestly tradition, if the garment had been woven from sheep’s wool, it would have been necessary to shear the animals with a metal tool; however, Levitical tradition considers anything touched by metal to be impure. For this reason, the priests’ garments were made of linen, a plant-based material. In the case of the prophets, however, camels shed their hair, which is gathered and woven. It probably wasn’t very elegant, nor did it smell particularly good, but it was a pure fabric. We might see in this an identity free from artifice or sophistication - a model that stands against the vanity of appearances. What should attract attention is not the image, but the content of the message being proclaimed. Let’s also take a look at their diet: locusts (often confused with grasshoppers) and wild honey. The most likely way to eat locusts is to cook them over an open flame after threading them onto a stick to make skewers, over which honey is poured. The honey is “wild,” that is, untouched by anyone, uncontaminated by impure hands. This is the food the desert provides, and it reminds us of the prophets’ ability to survive on little food - food that is nonetheless nutritious. How much we have to reflect on these details and to learn from biblical figures so far removed from our own time. I leave these seeds in your hands, and I ask the Spirit to make them sprout.

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Weekly Bible Reading Plan #33

August 10, Psalms 79–80; Romans 11:1–18

August 11, Psalms 81–83; Romans 11:19–36

August 12, Psalms 84–86; Romans 12

August 13, Psalms 87–88; Romans 13

August 14, Psalms 89–90; Romans 14

August 15, Psalms 91–93; Romans 15:1–13

August 16, Psalms 94–96; Romans 15:14–33