The season of Lent is like the Israelites' long season in the wilderness, where they confronted the stark realities of scarcity, vulnerability, and their own sin. Lent invites us to look at what we'd rather avoid--the barren and broken places in our own hearts. The gift in that is that it can clear the way for a deepened trust in God. Jesus picked up this stark, strange story in Numbers to describe his mission to the world so, odd as it is, it's worth a look. Numbers 21:4-9, John 3:14-17