Temptation and Wilderness

Lectionary Readings: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13; and Luke 4:1-13

Today's readings remind us of what Lent is. As Jesus went into the wilderness to be closer to God, he was tempted by the devil. As humans, we are no doubt tempted, though this temptation becomes more obvious and clear when it is in the form of chocolate, which one has given up for Lent, or a favorite snack glaring at us. But in a much more serious sense, we have a very unique type of "temptation" as LGBTQ Christians. The devil chided Jesus in Luke's readings "If you are the Son of God [insert temptation]." Similarly, we find ourselves mocked in a similar way; "If you are gay, then how can you be Christian?" or "If you are Christian, how can you be gay?" For many of us, we spend far more than 40 days in a wilderness of sorts as we try to fuse the two worlds together, or even trying to accept our sexuality in the face of societal or religious hostility. Just as the Holy Spirit was with Jesus during his journey in the wilderness, so to is the Spirit with us as we navigate our lives as Christians but also as queer persons. It isn't always easy and sometimes, we may feel like giving in and giving up one identity in order to accommodate others tempting us to pick one or the other. Sometimes, it may seem as though it would be easier to forgo one for the other. Yet, as Christians, God anointed us with our sexuality. By being made different, we are called to something special, much like the people of Deuteronomy. The Lord tells Her people to forget not their past, for it is part of their calling. Yet, for many of us, that past is traumatizing, filled with denial and lies. Still, as God didn't want the people of Israel to forget their past, so to does She not want us to forget ours. There will be times in our future where we must call upon our past to give light to the present.
When read in its original Greek, the Holy Spirit didn't just move Christ to the wilderness, the Holy Spirit yearned that Christ come into the wilderness. He was beckoned there after being baptized, anointed in his mission. In what ways are we, as LGBTQ Christians called into a strange and sometimes hostile wildernesses. But the Psalm for today comforts us who are called to that wilderness. We are reminded that God has commanded that an angel protect us "in our ways." How comforting to know that in all of our struggles, we are sent an angel to help us, to lift us up, to protect us from evil.
As we continue this lenten season, let us remember that as we journey through the wilderness, God has sent an angel to be with us and protect us in our journey.