…and now for desert.


Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.

1 Corinthians 12:12-17

He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.”

Deuteronomy 8:15

  • And I know well, the poetic reason for the deserts, in analogy of troubled or lonely times of our lives, but I wonder if scientists have figured out their place in the ecosystem of the world?

ChatGPT response>

The text describes a harsh wilderness — snakes, scorpions, thirst — and yet also provision. The land is not random. It is purposeful.

Now to your scientific question: 

Do deserts serve an ecological function?

Yes. Very much so.

Let’s walk through it plainly.

1. Deserts Regulate Climate

Deserts reflect a lot of sunlight because of their pale surfaces. That reflection influences global temperature patterns.

The Sahara alone affects:

  • Heat circulation between Africa and Europe
  • Hurricane formation in the Atlantic
  • Global wind systems

In other words, deserts help drive planetary airflow and energy balance.

2. They Fertilize Other Ecosystems

This one surprises people.

Dust from the Sahara travels across the Atlantic and fertilizes the Amazon Rainforest with phosphorus and minerals.

Without desert dust, parts of the Amazon would slowly lose soil nutrients.

So the “dead” place feeds the lush one.

That’s not metaphor. That’s satellite-measured science.

3. They Support Unique Life

Deserts aren’t empty. They contain highly specialized organisms:

  • Reptiles
  • Nocturnal mammals
  • Insects
  • Hardy plant species
  • Microbial crusts that prevent erosion

Desert biological soil crusts stabilize ground and reduce dust storms.

Remove them, and erosion accelerates dramatically.

4. They Are Water Systems — Just Hidden Ones

Many deserts contain:

  • Underground aquifers
  • Seasonal flood plains
  • Flash-flood recharge systems

They are extreme environments, not purposeless ones.

5. They Create Biodiversity Through Pressure

Extreme conditions force adaptation.

Evolutionary pressure in deserts has produced:

  • Water retention mechanisms in plants
  • Night-adapted vision in animals
  • Temperature regulation strategies

Pressure shapes resilience.

Now let me turn slightly toward you.

When you read that verse — “vast and dreadful wilderness” — what feeling does it stir in you?

Is it:

  • Fear?
  • Recognition?
  • Memory?
  • A sense of testing?
  • A question about necessity?

You said you know the poetic analogy. But something in you is wondering whether harsh places are arbitrary or essential.

Notice that.

Sometimes we assume:
“If this is painful, it must be meaningless.”

Science says deserts are not meaningless.

They are extreme — and integrated.

Let me ask you something gently:

If deserts were removed from the earth entirely — what would happen?

Climate patterns shift.
Nutrient cycles collapse.
Species disappear.
Global systems destabilize.

The harsh place is part of the balance.

Now I won’t rush to metaphor. Instead, I’ll ask:

When you encounter wilderness in your own life, what story does your mind tell about it?

Is it:
“This shouldn’t be happening”
or
“This might be part of something larger than I can see”?

Notice that those are thoughts — not facts.

You’re the one reading Deuteronomy.
You’re the one asking about ecosystems.
You’re the one able to step back and examine both.

That capacity — the observer of the question — is bigger than any wilderness you’ve walked through.

What’s showing up for you right now that you’d like to explore together?

Holy Spirit in me.

Two Jackets

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28 NIV

28-30 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and over-burdened, and I will give you rest! Put on my yoke and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

JB Phillips

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Eugene Peterson