@Kelly Latimore Icons, “Christ in the Wilderness”
Here, Jesus is portrayed during his 40 days in the desert. In his face, we can see his fully human experience of hunger, fatigue and isolation. Although he is in the depths of darkness, his gaze upwards and the fire near him remind us that he is being sustained by the strength of his faith and the hope that the fire’s light and warmth represent. We can feel how humanly vulnerable Jesus is when he is tempted by the devil, enabling greater appreciation of Christ’s refusal of each temptation.
What forces of darkness are in your life and our world? To which temptations are you vulnerable when you feel overwhelmed by darkness? Food, drink or other addictions? Negative feelings about others or yourself? Rejection of faith? Succumbing to inertia instead of trying to effect change?
God, help us to gain strength and hope through our faith and to embrace your work through us always but especially during times of darkness.