The Call of the Wilderness by Carriere is about the “calls of the wilderness” and the Desert Fathers. There are three calls that came from the desert. The first call is the call of God, who manifests himself in the wilderness. It is in the desert that we are able to communicate with God and understand His will for us. The second call is one of disgust and contempt for the world and for a corrupt, condemned society in which God's presence is obliterated. In contrast to the city the solitude and the aridity of the desert seems pure. The third call is sounded by the trumpets of the apocalypse. The early Christians were sure that at any moment Christ would return. They were wary that they might be caught in a state of sin or forgetfulness when Christ had come again. The desert is there so that we can go there in a state of retreat and prayer.
There were many monks in the deserts near Egypt known as the Desert Fathers. These men often took their faith in dramatic fashion. They would cover themselves in chains, tie rocks to their heads to keep them from falling asleep, never wash, recite hundreds of prayers a day, and even live on pillars. These men would do these things so that they could be closer to God.
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