The Desert

Why do we always start Lent with Jesus in the desert? Why not start with a story about Jesus and fasting? After all, we gave up chocolate, coffee, movies, or something else for Lent, so why not talk about giving stuff up? Well, Jesus seems to have run into people who did fast quite well, but they were not very kind, loving, and compassionate with their neighbors. They fasted but were prejudicial. They fasted but were narrow minded. They fasted but were envious of power and control.

The desert is where we deal with all this stuff. Jesus did. Plus, he fasted there too. It is a both/and.