The Divine Blaze
Imagine this: You're in your living room on a bitter winter's day. The skies outside are an impenetrable grey and a piercing chill seeps through the windows. Your hands are cupped around a steaming mug of hot cocoa. But the real jewel of this scene? The glowing log fire that roars in the grate. The heart of the home in the heart of winter.
The wood sizzles and crackles, the flames dance and flicker in a mesmerising ballet of blues, oranges and reds. Each flame is distinct, each piece of wood fuels the fire differently. It's an elemental symphony. Now, what if I told you this fire, this beacon of warmth and light, is a metaphor for your own spiritual journey?
As a youngster, I recall my first clumsy attempts at lighting a fire. Here's a bit of comedy for you: I thought a single matchstick under a log would do the trick! Needless to say, my efforts resulted in nothing more than a brief, sputtering flame. It took me a while to understand that to ignite a proper fire, one that lasts, you need three key components: fuel, oxygen, and heat.
Let's bring this back to our spiritual life. You and I, we're the fuel, just like those logs in the grate. And we're all different—tall, short, young, old, smooth, rough—and yet, we're all necessary. Just as a fire is composed of many pieces of wood, our spiritual community thrives on the diverse contributions of its members.
Consider the role of oxygen in this metaphor. In our spiritual life, oxygen symbolises the Holy Spirit, the life-giving breath of God that fuels our inner flame. How do we imbibe this spiritual oxygen? By delving into the Bible, by turning to prayer, and by seeking God's will in our everyday lives.
Lastly, let's consider heat—the energy, the spark, that sets the wood alight and keeps it burning. In our spiritual journey, this heat is the enthusiasm, the passion we invest in our faith. When fuel meets oxygen and heat, the result is a beautiful, blazing fire.
This brings to mind a line from Acts chapter 2, recounting the Day of Pentecost, "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." The disciples were the fuel, the Holy Spirit was the oxygen, and the heat? That was their zeal for the word of God. Together, these elements ignited a spiritual fire that changed the world.
But here's a crucial caveat from Paul's advice to the Thessalonians: "Do not quench the Spirit." Just like a fire that's deprived of oxygen or fuel, our spiritual fervour can also dwindle and die if we neglect to stoke it. If we retreat from our community, forsake our practices, or grow complacent in our faith, our spiritual fire risks going out. So, the question I'm posing to you today is, how do you plan to stoke your spiritual fire?
It's all too easy to find excuses not to participate, to distance ourselves from the communal blaze. But remember, every log removed from the fire cools and eventually dies out. It's important for us not to isolate ourselves, to stay connected with our spiritual community, to fan the flames of our faith.
And the beauty of this fire we're stoking? It not only warms us but also provides warmth to those around us. It's a beacon, a source of illumination, guiding and inspiring others. As Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." When we're ablaze with God's love, we cast light into the darkness, igniting spiritual fires in others, creating a blaze that can be seen far and wide.
Have you ever noticed how a fire will draw people in? How they'll gather around its warmth and light, sharing stories, creating bonds, strengthening connections? That's the allure of the spiritual fire within us. It draws people closer, inviting them to share in our experience of God's love.
Let's not forget, fire is transformative. It takes raw materials and changes them, turning wood into heat and light. So too, the spiritual fire within us has the power to transform, to refine us, to make us into more Christ-like beings. In the Bible, 1 Peter 1:7 speaks of faith being "more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire," suggesting that trials and tribulations serve to purify and strengthen our faith, much like fire refines gold.
To light a fire, we need a spark. Maybe today, you've just begun your journey of faith, and that initial spark has been ignited. Perhaps you're well into your journey, and your fire is burning bright. Or maybe you're feeling a bit like those charred logs after a long night - burnt out and smoky. No matter where you find yourself, remember that each state is transient, a stepping-stone on the path of spiritual growth.
I once took part in a night hike during a church youth retreat. We stumbled and fumbled in the dark, some even tripped and fell. But then, someone switched on a torch. Immediately, the path ahead became clear. We all moved towards the light. Our spiritual fire is that torch. We're all fumbling in the dark, seeking guidance, but it's the light from our spiritual fire, the radiant love of God, that illuminates our path and leads us forward.
So, dear listener, consider your spiritual journey. Consider the fire within you. Are you fuelling it, feeding it with oxygen, keeping it alight with your passion? Remember, you carry within you a potential blaze, a fire that can warm you, guide you, and illuminate the path for others.
How can you tend to your spiritual fire today? How can you ensure it remains a beacon of God's love? As Hebrews 12:29 reminds us, "for our God is a consuming fire." Let that divine fire consume you, transform you, and enable you to set the world ablaze with God's love.
Let's turn up the heat on our faith, let's fuel our spiritual journey and let's breath in the Holy Spirit. I urge you to stoke the fire within, so it may burn brightly, warming you and illuminating the path for all who witness its blaze.
