In response to tragedy, people of all times and places want to know who to blame. These days, we don’t use exactly the same language as those questioning Jesus – Did those people suffer because they were worse sinners? – but when the unthinkable happens, we still want to know, did they bring this on themselves?

Jesus responds with an emphatic NO. Our impulse to point the finger when tragedy strikes is not God’s way. We so desperately want to be sure this won’t happen to me, that we won’t face that kind of suffering or pain or hardship, that we look for some explanation that keeps us safe. But the suffering of this world is not captured by some cosmic math equation where people deserve what’s coming to them.

Instead, God shows us another way. Jesus tells a parable about a fig tree that is not doing what it’s supposed to do: it’s not bearing fruit. Now, if we imagine ourselves to be the fig tree in this story, then we can hear the voice of the world saying, “if it doesn’t produce, cut it down!” But God’s way extends compassion and grace. “Give it time. Let me tend the soil, dig around the roots, care for it and see what happens.”

Our Lenten theme, “Jesus: a way in the wilderness” is a chance to explore this other way. A way that says we don’t need to figure out who is to blame for our suffering, and we don’t need to look for the quick fix to escape our pain. A way that says struggles and uncertainty are not signs that we are somehow outside of God’s love and grace, but that God is with us through our struggles and uncertainty. A way that involves God tending to us, providing for us – perhaps not in the ways we want (none of us want our roots disturbed and none of us wants to be covered in manure!) – but God always cares for us in the ways we need.

How has God nurtured you when you’ve found yourself in the wilderness?