Wilderness ministry can be a very effective tool to reveal that to be “weird” in the world’s eyes is actually “normal” in God’s eyes. How ironic.

Wilderness ministry can be a very effective tool to reveal that to be “weird” in the world’s eyes is actually “normal” in God’s eyes. How ironic.
The people in this story thought the man’s physical ailment was his biggest need, but Jesus did not agree—he saw his need for forgiveness of sins as a much greater need because it has such long-term consequences.
"In fourth century Egypt, many devout Christians were struggling to survive in a society that seemed to have an unbridled disregard for God. Like a house burning violently from within, the only choice many devout Christians felt they had was to run for their lives...
"Scrambling over rocks, zig-zagging between bear grass and some other clumpy desert ground cover, His feet testing each step to make sure it was solid… finally He reached the summit. Wind howling, and the storm sounding like the opening music to an eerie mystery...
Familiarity leads to complacency. God pushed Abraham out of his comfort zone and led him through wilderness experiences to make him more committed to mission (Gen. 12:1-3).