We think of the desert as a dry and lifeless place but it is full of all kinds of life. The Mojave in Nevada not only has between 1,750 and 2,000 species of plants, many of which only lie there, but is full of small animals as well. It is also home to Avi Kwa Ame, or Spirit Mountain, a place sacred to the Bishop Palute and Fort Mojave tribes.
They, among others, are hoping that Biden will name this area a National Monument. Suh a designation gives it federal protection and support. Declaring Avi Kwa Ame a National Monument would prohibit people from removing certain kinds of plants such as the Joshua Tree or the Bear Cactus. These as well as small flowers that bloom where we least expect them would remain.
Scorching hot in the day, a desert becomes cold as the sun sets allowing many animals to come out of their hiding places and scurry about for food. Just as Jesus went into the wilderness to breathe in the Spirit of God, so did the ancients who live among such land search for the Spirit, an experience enhanced by the stark beauty of the desert.
Prayer for the Day
We awake in the morning to breathe you in, Spirit of Creation,
For you give us the ability to find you irrespective of our location;
The morning air, now cooler, is the harbinger of a new season coming,
As we search for the life you continue to give us.
Mold us into reflections of the beauty of the coming autumn,
Filling us with the air around us, signs of your Spirit.
In the name of the One who was transformed by your Spirit,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
I don’t see the desert as barren at all; I see it as full and ripe. It doesn’t need to be flattered with rain; it certainly needs rain, but it does with what it has, and creates amazing beauty.
- Joy Harjo, Muscogee (Creek Nation) poet
The phoenix hope can wing her way through the desert skies, and still defying fortune’s spite, revive from ashes and rise.
- Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish writer and poet (1547-1616)
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom,
Like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon,
They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
Isaiah 35: 1-2