Author: admin

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One of my favorite books is Barbara Kingsolver’s, The Poisonwood Bible. 

It’s the story about a Baptist minister from Georgia named Doug, who decides that his calling in life is to evangelize Africa.

So, he drags his wife and three young girls along with him.

Nervous about the weight limit for luggage, Doug’s daughters pack as much as they can on themselves: several dresses each, countless pairs of socks, hair pins, Band-Aids, a hand-mirror, and cake mix.

Everything hidden beneath their coats.

“But Daddy,” one of his daughter notes, “he only brought the Word of God… Said it’s all he needed!”

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As with every other teaching, Doug took Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel literally. 

Perhaps too literally.

“Do not take … a sack for the journey,” Jesus says, “or a second tunic, or sandals, or a walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep” (Matthew 10:9-10).

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Doug was right in his desire to share the Gospel with others, even in faraway places. 

But it’s how he did it that became his demise. 

He was aggressive and forceful; stubborn; rarely willing to listen; determined to be right.

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Faith is important to us, as it was to Doug. We, too, should want to share the Gospel.

But it’s how we do it that often makes the difference.

For example, how patient am I with people who have little or no faith? Do I seek to understand their perspective? Or am I forceful in making my beliefs known?

Am I merciful to others? Or do I spend my time judging them, instead?

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The best way to share the Gospel is not by preaching it, as Doug reminds us.

But by living it well.

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“His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

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Sheep are defenseless creatures.

They have no claws, no paws; neither venom, nor fangs. If attacked, they have no way of defending themselves.

When left alone, they become nature’s next snack.

Sheep aren’t smart animals, but they know their strength does not lie in themselves; it’s determined by their closeness to the shepherd.

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The same is true for us.

How many times have we felt, “troubled or abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd?” Alone, left to our own devise. 

Maybe we’re going through a divorce; feeling isolated because of COVID; or worried about the future.

At times our mind can spin us into a hole so deep it feels like there’s no way out.

But there is.

It can be a hard lesson to learn, but ultimately our strength does not reside in ourselves; it’s determined by how close we are to Jesus.

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The desert is one of the most uninhabitable places on earth. It’s dry, almost entirely void of life, and covered in burning sand. 

Maybe that’s why Dante included the desert in his seventh circle of hell! 

Why, then, does the Lord promise to lead Israel into the desert in our first reading?

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To draw them closer to himself.

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At this point in the Old Testament, Israel has repeatedly proven unfaithful to God. They’ve worshipped other gods, failed to pray, and given into immoral living.

To capture their attention, the Lord allows a neighboring army to invade, sending Israel into the desert.

But it’s not meant to be an aggressive type of punishment. 

The prophet Hosea promises that Israel’s impending military defeat, and their desert experience to follow, can purify their faith, deepening Israel’s intimacy with God.

But they must be humble.

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It sounds hard to believe that God can bring something good out of destruction and defeat.

Hardship can lead any of us down the path of pity parties and depression. Like the ancient Israelites, maybe you’re having your own “desert experience” right now.

Maybe a deep sense of isolation has set in since COVID spread. Maybe you’re enduring a dry period in prayer; personal grief; or uncertainty about the future.

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The prophet Hosea reminds us that God is present, even in these desert experiences. 

The Lord can use our most difficult days to purify our faith, drawing us closer to himself.

But such a transformation always begins with humility and surrender.