The drama of faith.

When we open the Bible and follow the journey of the chosen people of God in the deepening, clarifying, and purifying of their faith, we come to see how difficult this journey is leading to the mystery of God, how difficult is the journey of faith. And not only for Israel, but also for us. Every day, we can see how we are affected by every… on every corner of our lives. And we must not forget that faith itself is darkness and uncertainty. That is why we speak of the drama of faith. So when we enter this real tunnel, we should remember Jesus’ invitation, “Strive for this, to enter through the narrow door.” (Luke 13:24) The test in the desert.
In several places, the Council presents the life of faith as It, even compares it to a pilgrimage (LG 2:8, 65). Israel’s journey through the desert. This journey certainly meant for the faith of Israel in the Lord a trial by fire. But while it is true that faith Israel’s faith came out of this test strengthened, we can see in this journey, we can observe both adoration and blasphemy, obedience and rebellion, faithfulness and apostasy, calling on the Lord and protesting against him. All of this can be a great symbol of our relationship to God while we’re “on the road” and most importantly, and I’d like to emphasize, it is also a symbol of all the fluctuations and confusions that each person suffers as they ascend to God in their lives of faith. As we see it in the Bible, few people have been of these weaknesses have been spared. When the time was fulfilled, God entered the scene of human history.
He stepped in to touch people, to set them free, to make them equal to himself. God’s friend and the leader of the people, Moses, stands up Pharaoh, gathers the scattered people and sets out with them on a to the land of the free. Out of Egypt, the great journey of faith to light begins. But even after the first steps, the hearts of the people begin to twist like a crisis of faith. Doubt makes them cry out: “Was it not in Egypt enough graves for us to die in the midst of?” (Ex. 14:11).
“It has come to that which we talked about in Egypt: Let us be, that we may serve Egypt. For it was better for us to serve than to die in the wilderness.” (Ex. 14:12). The people give prefer security to freedom. In the midst of confusion, the only thing Moses keeps his faith alive: Fear not, O Lord. “he will shine in his glory” and tomorrow you will see his glory (Ex. 14:13), for the Lord “will fight for us and with us.”
After these words, the faith of the people was rekindled. And on their own …they observe with their own eyes phenomena never seen before. Suddenly, a strong wind arose, that parted the waters of the sea. And the people passed through the middle of the sea on dry land, the waters were a wall to their left and right, while the Egyptians were trapped at the bottom of the sea. In the face of this, the people believed the Lord and his servant Moses” (Ex. 14:31) and sang him a song of victory (Ex. 15:1-18). Yet they needed one more “sign”, to renew their faith. “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believed” (John 20:29).
They went out into the wilderness of Sure and wandered in the desert for three days. And in the desert again the faith of the people is put to the test. The silence of the earth and sometimes the silence of the of God falls upon their souls, and they feel fear. They have run out of supplies. What will they eat? And despondency and longing fall upon the people like a ravening, and rebellion is born. “But you have brought us out into this wilderness, only to starve this whole congregation to death. Would that we had had died by the sword at the hands of the Egyptians” (Ex 16:3).
The people eventually succumbed to the temptation to repent and began again crying out: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember
the fish we had for free in Egypt, the cucumbers and melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.” (Nu 11:5) Moses, whose faith remained unshaken as he daily spoke with God “as with a friend,” he told them: “I with your I have nothing to do with your grumbling, it is a grumbling against It is a grumbling against the Lord. But I assure you that in the morning you will see the Lord’s and your murmuring will be ridiculous.” (cf. Ex. 16:5-9) The quail flew in toward evening and descended on the camp. And in the morning something like dew fell around the camp, and every morning the people they were fed every morning. (Ex. 16:13-16). The wandering continued in the blazing sun through a sea of hot sand towards Pradesh-Barnes. And as they walked, again their souls were seized with despondency and temptation; the temptation to stop, to abandon the wandering and return to the old comfortable life, albeit in slavery. “Therefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt, that thou lightest bring us , our sons and our flocks to quench our thirst” (Ex 17:3).
And at this moment a piercing doubt casts away the memory of so many wonders, criticizes the foundation of faith, and expresses itself in that terrible question: “Is the Lord among us, or is he not? ” (Ex. 17:7) Doubt has reached its highest peak. Therefore, the place was called Massey (because they were protesting against God) and Meribah (because they tempted the Lord). This was a test in the wilderness on the road to the land of Canaan. Few people who take God seriously have not had to go through some severe test.
New trials in new deserts
The journey of faith has always been rough and difficult, but in our time the difficulties even more so. The Church today is going through a new desert. For those wandering in the wilderness are threatened with what they once were: the petulance of being God is not seen, new “gods” who want us to be to worship, and the temptation to stop on this hard road of faith and return to the comfort of “fertile Egypt”.