“Are we there yet?  Are we there yet?”, is the question I hear in the reading from the Book of Numbers.  It is not clear to me how long the Israelites have been traveling in the desert, but there is a pattern that begins in the first chapter of this text and continues throughout the book.  The Israelites complain about the challenging journey, the food, the lack of water, Moses’ leadership, and God reacts to the grumbling.  In today’s reading, He sends poisonous saraph serpents to bite the people.  The Israelites acknowledge they have sinned against God and Moses and beg Moses to intercede with God.  Moses, their steadfast leader, asks God to forgive the people, and God responds favorably to the request.  No matter how many times God gives the Israelites what they need, they persist in not trusting God.  No matter how many times God is disappointed, He continues to forgive them, provide for their needs, and guide them toward a better future.  The Israelites are on their “journey of a lifetime,” but instead of focusing on the end goal, they seem to focus on complaining about the effort needed to attain God’s promised land. 

Although I do not understand the hardships of traveling across a hot, arid land, I do understand what it feels like to be frustrated and discouraged, even sometimes in a “desert” that is usually of my own making.  I too can become caught up in the details of my life instead of focusing on God’s promise to me.  Fortunately, when this happens, I can remind myself that I am living in the time of the “post-resurrection.”

The Evangelist in the Gospel of John uses Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus to explain what post-resurrection means for the faith community.  God “wills” or “gives” his only Son for the sake of the world – those who would oppose God.  Jesus, the perfect example of trust and union with God, cooperates fully in God’s plan to save humanity.  Jesus is exalted on the cross, and through His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, he bridges the world and heaven.  Everyone is offered freedom from death and the opportunity to share in God’s promise.  For me to attain God’s promise to all of humanity, I only need to move past my “desert times,” accept and trust in God’s boundless love, and turn to Jesus the One that came to offer eternal life. 

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:17).”