Lent, the time of fast and abstinence before Easter, is based on Christ’s time in the wilderness, described in the first chapter of Mark’s gospel with touching brevity: “He was in the desert with the wild beasts and angels ministered to him.” Angels and beasts. What could be better? Were the beasts really wild, or did the lions and jackals frolic round the Son of Man as if the Fall had never happened? And did the angels shoo away the beasts when Christ slept? Thinking figuratively, angels and beasts may represent too the bright and dark sides of our nature.