No Way Back Home

In this season of deep reflection called Lent, we are beckoned into the wilderness—a realm defined not by geography but by the state of the soul. It is a place of testing, struggle, and stark reckoning. In the Gospel narrative, we encounter Jesus in this wilderness: hungry, vulnerable, and solitary, standing defiant against forces bent on crushing his spirit and compromising his calling.

The wilderness strips away comforting illusions, compelling us to confront our authentic selves and the entrenched systems that shape our world.

The wilderness strips away comforting illusions, compelling us to confront our authentic selves and the entrenched systems that shape our world. In its raw honesty, it echoes Jesus’ trials and amplifies the voices of those navigating their arduous journeys today.

From my vantage point as founder and executive director of Casa Alterna, I am continuously moved by the stories of vulnerable immigrants and asylum seekers. These are individuals dehumanized by political rhetoric—branded as less than human, with their pursuit of the so-called American Dream twisted into a nightmare. Their aim is simple: to survive while affirming their inherent dignity.

The Wilderness of the Immigrant: A Story of Two Venezuelan Men

I recently witnessed a moment that shook me to my core. Through Casa Alterna’s new initiative, Court Compas, our volunteers stand at the gates of a government institution that many describe as a modern-day hell—the field office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—offering solidarity and mercy. Here, a long line of immigrants awaits: some having traversed vast distances in search of sanctuary, most living in constant fear under oppressive regimes both abroad and within the United States.

Outside these imposing gates, two Venezuelan men approached me—not seeking to remain but yearning desperately for a path back home. They had meticulously followed every step in the asylum process, only to find themselves ensnared in a system engineered to reject rather than shelter. This harsh system, much like a modern-day Pharaoh, hardens its heart, criminalizes the foreigner, and pressures us to betray one another—punishing those who dare to seek safety and those who dare to offer sanctuary.

Lacking proper documentation or a consulate to guide them, they found themselves trapped in a labyrinth with no clear path forward and no way back home.

With quiet resolve, one man shared a photo of his wife and daughter back in Venezuela. His longing to return was palpable, and his willingness to endure every hardship—even the indignity of detention—spoke to a journey as emotional as it was physical. Lacking proper documentation or a consulate to guide them, they found themselves trapped in a labyrinth with no clear path forward and no way back home.

Jesus in the Wilderness: The Temptations of Power and Despair

Scripture recounts how Jesus was led into the wilderness, where he faced not the lure of pleasure but the stark realities of survival, relevance, power, and compromise:

“Turn these stones into bread.”
A call to opt for the easy way out, to barter dignity for mere sustenance.

“Throw yourself down from the temple, and the angels will catch you.”
A dare to prove oneself through spectacle rather than through the Powers and this nation recognizing their humanity.

“Bow to me, and I will grant you all the kingdoms of the world.”
An offer of seductive power and security in exchange for allegiance.

Aren’t these the same temptations shadowing those who struggle to survive today? The allure to sacrifice one’s dignity for mere existence, to internalize oppression and accept a label of illegality, to incessantly prove one’s worth in a society that undervalues the immigrant, and to submit silently to injustice when resistance demands too high a price.

But Jesus resists.

But Jesus resists. (As one preacher once wryly remarked, “But-ology may be the highest form of theology.”) Jesus refuses to harness power for personal gain or negotiate with forces undermining the sacred call to community and mutual love. He declines to secure his safety at the expense of the vulnerable. In his steadfast defiance, he calls upon us to rise—to reject the temptation of compromise and to champion a more beautiful, just world: the Beloved Community.

Written by Anton Flores-Maisonet

This essay is part one of a two-part series based on a sermon Anton preached on March 9, 2025, at Oakhurst Presbyterian Church in Decatur, GA. Part two can be found here.
To watch the sermon, go to bit.ly/GreatnessInTheWilderness.