At One With the Desert

John, in Mark's gospel, appears in the desert.  He does not go there as Moses had.  Nor is he driven there as Jesus would be.  Instead, he appears as though sprouting up from it, nurtured by its barrenness. It is where he belongs.  He is one with the desert, not a visitor or its captive.  For John it is not penance or preparation.  It is his fulfillment, and he would never fit where others might flourish.