Background Notes:

For many, Lent is a season observed by fasting or other practices that help one to remember Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. In contrast to the word “desert” –the word sometimes used to describe these places of exile – the word “wilderness” connotes a place that, although untamed and raw, is rich with life and free from day-to-day distractions. This hymn names the ways in which we find ourselves wandering, our need for healing, and the importance of solitude in this process.