ESSENTIALS
The prophet Isaiah imagined a day, and John celebrated this dream, when all flesh would see the salvation of God. There is a certain equality in the desert! Everyone is reduced to a backpack of survival essentials. In desert heat and wilderness danger, all cultural distinctions and special identities fade away. In the wilderness, everyone is human first, everyone is equally without civilized protections, everyone is a creature aware of thirst and hunger, of burning sun and threatening animals. Our distinctions and individual uniqueness, our differences, can blind us to our common struggles and needs. We are creatures dependent on our Creator, children needing a Father, before we are anything else. That is why Isaiah's quote and John's message were for everyone. That is why John the Baptist preached the same challenge and call to every person.
Do you see others as more like or unlike yourself?
Do the most basic things about you reinforce your individuality or common humanity?
Do we make distinctions among ourselves that are unimportant?
FAMILY TIME: Get a backpack and ask, "If you had to live out of this for a week, what would you pack?" Talk about what in life and faith is essential.
April 11, 2026
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