Desert experiences

Today started by hiking down from the windy highland habitat of the ibex and ended in a spread-out stone hotel in Petra, Jordan. In between we saw where KIng Solomon mined copper, walked through a life-size model of the tabernacle, and wheeled our baggage across the "no man's land" of the international border dividing former combatant nations.

From the windy high ground we trekked down steep, stony wilderness paths to a dry river bed, a wadi. River beds are the only places in Israel that sand is found. These wadis are seasonal and this time of year are dry. There is still enough moisture in the soil to support broom trees. Though called "trees", they are spindly shrubs that provide the shade the can mean the difference between life and death in the desert.

In the setting our leader, Brandon, gave teaching that redirected my thinking about something Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus contrasted the wise and foolish based on where they built their homes. The wise built on the rock while the fool constructed on sand. Previously, I had thought (and taught) that the issue was firm vs. weak structural foundation. But, the focus here is on the same three factors that determine the value of your home and mine: location, location, location. Sandy soil is found only in the place most susceptible to flash flooding, which is a deadly presence in the Holy Land. A quick storm in the mountains 10 miles away can bring a wave of death to a resident of a sunny river bottom location. As someone who has lost acquaintances in a flash flood, I'm aware of the seriousness of the situation.

It is in the wilderness that God often meets us. It is through desert experiences that he most gets our attention and brings us growth. The wise person is one who creates a lifestyle of developing the skill of applying God's truth to life. Not to do so is to choose to dwell in a flash flood plain.

Ron Cratty, Groveland, CA