Wilderness Taunts

The poet, artist and priest Ian Adams offers a series of meditations with photographic images that draw on the Gospel accounts of the 40-day testing and temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. It sees those temptations as taunts meant to throw Jesus off balance, and explores the taunts that assault us when we are confronted by the darkness in external events and by the shadows within ourselves -the critical inner voice that tells us we are alone, trapped and powerless, or the self-interested voice that tempts us to think we are in control, it's all about us.

Striking, immediate and fresh, these meditations look beyond temptation as an urge to do something wrong and recognise the deeper questions that are being asked of us about life, love and faith.

Ian writes that in the desert, 'wild beasts may come, but angels may come too' and each reflection concludes with a prayer phrase that enables us to turn a taunt into a life-giving truth, enabling us to better understand who we are to step with imagination and generosity into whatever is being called of us.