Lent and hunger

The story of Jesus in the wilderness rushes right past his crucial 40 days of fasting to a dramatic conversation with the devil. We might be tempted to read right past the 40 days of fasting, as well.
But Lent is all about the 40 mysterious, perhaps at times monotonous days of fasting....

We come to church to draw close to Jesus, and especially in Lent we tune in to Jesus’ physical, fleshy, incarnate being....
How hungry would you be after 40 days of fasting? On which day would your stomach stop growling and simply shut down? For what are you hungry today?
 
What fuels your hunger?
 
What soothes your hunger?
 
We are called to the wilderness to see ourselves bare, to surrender our pretenses and face into our emptiness. This is not a journey for the faint of heart, but for all of us who fear and can claim our fear. For us who long, and can claim our longing. We are called to the wilderness for realization and renewal. We will never walk this journey alone.