In preparing for the oral examination for Christian Anthropology, I read of a commentary on Genesis 2. There are two versions of the Creation of Man in the book of Genesis. According to the Documentary Hypothesis, Genesis 2 came from the Yahwist Document while Genesis 1 the Priestly. In Genesis 1, man was created last and was the zenith of Creation. Man was created in the image of God. He is the representative of God to rule over the whole Creation. Genesis 2 offers a different account. Man was created first from red-earth in a rather undeveloped Eden. God thought that it was no good for man to be alone. Man needed a helper to cultivate the paradise. Therefore, God made other animals and brought them in front of man to name them. None of them were appropriate helpers. So, God put the man to sleep and from his rib, made a woman. Both of them worked together to cultivate and keep the paradise of Eden.
I find this commentary very meaningful. It confers meaning to our existence and our labour --- we cultivate and develop God's creation. We work to build heaven on earth. God so loves the world as to give His only begotten Son to save the world. Meanwhile, we continue to explore and realize the full potential of the world. Eden was no more than the wilderness. It was not a piece of land flowing with milk and honey unless we worked on it. Thus, man was created for the world, not vice versa. When we talk about salvation, we no longer talk about the salvation of man only as though the world is of no significance. Rather, salvation is for the whole creation and man works for the salvation of the whole creation. No wonder in the gospel of Mark, Jesus sent his disciples to preach to the whole creation (Mark 16:15). It was an echo of Genesis 2.
In the gospel reading today, we heard the story of John the Baptist in the wilderness. The Israelites had a romance with God in the wilderness. It began with their ancestor Abraham who was a nomad living in the wilderness. Once they settled in Egypt, one of the four ancient civilizations in the world, they were enslaved by the Egyptians. True, there were meat pots in Egypt. There were food and security, the two most basic levels of human needs. No wonder the rebellious Israelites kept on grumbling to Moses and demanded returning to Egypt. However, no sooner had the Israelites entered the Promised Land which was flowing with honey and mild, they began to worship idols, thus displeasing God. If I were God, I would prefer the romantic time spent in the wilderness to the ungrateful and rebellious encounters in the Promised Land. So, when John the Baptist was calling the Israelites to repent and return to God, he did it in the wilderness. He was making a statement --- turn away from the luxury and comfort in life. Return to God who is found in the wilderness, be it the literal desert or your inner most heart. Nowadays, if we have to choose between wilderness and the Promised Land, we should be wise enough to choose the wilderness to encounter God.
Of course, a land flowing with milk and honey is what most people desire. It is a place of plenty. Nobody needs to worry about filling up the belly. It also promises the generation of new lives. The future is bright in this Promised Land. However, the paradox is that riches will eat up our souls. When life becomes easy, we become lazy and laziness brings poor health --- high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure etc. Moreover, an easy life poses no challenge to our mind. Our brain becomes rusty and few people are grateful to the blessings they receive from God who becomes irrelevant in their life.
The wilderness threatens our life. Most of the time, we are alone. Even if there are sights of company, you cannot tell whether they are foes or friends. The environment is hostile and always poses problems for our survival. The temperatures are extreme. We need to fend for ourselves, look for water and food, fight off wild animals and robbers. We cannot afford to lead a convenient life. Life in the wilderness must be kept as simple as possible. Both our body and our mind are being challenged. We cannot afford to be complacent and have to stay alert all the time. Strangely, God seems to be closer in such situations.
Technically speaking, here in Hong Kong, there is no wilderness. So, creating a wilderness in our heart becomes an alternative. When we feel exhausted, that we have used up the last ounce of our strength, that we are going to exhale our last breath, it is high time we surrendered our soul and allowed the Holy Spirit to pray within us.
Dear Lord, I know that You are near. Allow me to be the host to wait on You in my heart. Amen.
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