Today we have been in the desert - a beautiful experience but one that also brings you close to the experience of our forebears in faith
Whilst Jerusalem is a city that has been built up over many yeras to know be a sprawling mini-metropolis with a maelstrom of styles of building, culture and religion/worship, the desert is immensely still and almost benevolent in its apparently calm presence and beauty
One should not be fooled though. There is limited water, limited vegetation and limited scope for the development of societal expansion beyond any area that is fortunate enough to be anywhere near any source of water. As we have travelled today we have seen the precariousness of the existence of those who either choose or are forced to inhabit this place
Our day has been one of exploring the lives of those who have chosen to live in the desert - part of the Kidron Valley, very close the Dead Sea
Beginning with an exploration of Qumran - the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, we were able to see first hand the remains of the buildings the members of this Commuity had used. At one point, up to a hundred men lived here - following a Rule of Life that prescribed a life of study, manual labour and silence, - all to faciliatate a deeper engagement and understanding of the God who called them and loved them. These early monastics were seeking after God - something that so many of us are seeking to do in our modern age. There are those called to this life, with its challenges and demands - and they are to be valued and cherished, alongside those who seek to live out their vocation in 'the world', with the challenges and demands that this way if life brings with it
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