Lent begins, as most important things do, slightly before we feel prepared.
Jesus is baptised. The heavens open. God speaks. And then—without so much as a packing list — Jesus is sent straight into the wilderness. No debrief. No planning meeting. No opportunity to ask sensible questions like, “How long will this be?” or “Is there cell service?”
The Church, helpfully, does much the same to us.
We mark ourselves with ashes, clear our throats solemnly, and announce our intention to walk with Jesus for forty days. And almost immediately we discover that we are not as organised, resolved, or spiritually limber as we imagined on Ash Wednesday evening.
This is not a design flaw. It is the point.
Lent does not begin with readiness; it begins with willingness. The wilderness is not entered by experts, but by those who say yes before they have the map fully unfolded. Faith, inconveniently, is practiced in real time.
We would prefer to start Lent once we feel properly focused, prayerful, and morally impressive. God, however, seems content to begin with us exactly as we are — tired, distracted, hopeful, and a little unsure where we left our resolve.
The temptation story that opens Lent is not about heroic endurance. It is about trust formed under pressure. Jesus does not stride confidently through the wilderness; he walks it. Slowly. Hungry. Human.
And so do we.
Lent 1 reminds us that the journey of faith is not postponed until we feel ready. It begins when we step forward anyway — carrying what we have, trusting that God has already gone ahead.
The wilderness does not mean we have failed. It means we have started.
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Companion Prayer
Faithful God,
You call us forward before we feel prepared.
When the road opens sooner than expected
and the wilderness feels close at hand,
walk with us.
Give us courage for the journey,
patience with ourselves,
and trust that you meet us not at the finish,
but in the first uncertain steps.
Lead us, as you led your Son,
and keep us faithful along the way.
Amen.
