12 : into the wilderness

He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’

— 1 Kings 19:4

Elijah, after great victories and profound exhaustion, retreats into the wilderness, where he prays for his life to end. This moment of despair, when all purpose seems lost, echoes the deep, existential loneliness we all face at times. It is in these moments — when we feel most isolated and broken — that the wilderness becomes our refuge, a place where silence offers space for renewal and inner strength.

In Jungian terms, the wilderness represents the unconscious, a place where we are stripped of the external distractions and are forced to confront our inner landscape. Elijah’s time in the wilderness was not just a retreat but a necessary withdrawal to face his own despair and rediscover his purpose. Solitude, while often uncomfortable, can become a profound place of healing. It is here that we can find clarity and strength not from external validation but from within.

The painting Elijah in the Wilderness by Frederic Leighton (1877–1878) captures this moment of Elijah, weary and vulnerable, asleep, finds solace in the stillness of the desert. Like Elijah, we may need to enter our own wildernesses, withdrawing from the world to reconnect with ourselves, while knowing that us, too, will be ministered to by an angel. The wilderness, far from being a place of abandonment, becomes the ground where new purpose is born. It is in solitude that we rebuild, strengthen, and emerge with a renewed sense of direction.

As you move through this Lenten season, I am asking you to embrace solitude as a necessary part of your journey. In the stillness, you may find the strength and purpose you seek.

Journaling Prompt: Reflect on a time when solitude helped you find clarity or strength. How might stepping into your own wilderness offer the space you need for renewal?

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