A few months ago, the entire state of North Carolina was under a state-mandated burn ban. For places like Camp Agapé in the Sandhills, this meant that our retreat groups and campers could not have campfires. No singing around the flames, no s’mores, no charred hot dogs or marshmallows, no fire-warmed faces or smokey clothes. After the state ban was lifted, Agapé remained under a fire ban for a couple more weeks. It was one thing for someone to tell us that it was safe to have a campfire, but for those of us who hike the woods daily, we knew that the ground cover was brittle and dry, ideal for catching fire and spreading quickly through our beloved woods.
In this section of Hebrews, I think we are called to similar noticing and actions. We are warned of acting rashly or selfishly without considering the larger consequences of our piety without faith. Following the letter of the law without the spirit of the gospel is cause for concern and consequences. When God shakes the heavens and earth, all that remains is what is true, and good, and necessary. The brittle and dry and dead is blown away, and the lushness of life lived with God’s grace remains.
The fires that burn naturally in our woods and forests have a purpose. They renew the earth, clear away what is dead and dry, cleanse the forests of what is not necessary for life, and create space for new life to flourish. But more often, the fires that rage and destroy are caused by our own carelessness or impulsiveness. Or just as often, by our own fear of what is painful but needed, fires to cleanse and take away the rubble and leave the living.
It’s God’s wisdom that shakes the heavens and the earth, but it is our obedience and our cautious and brave natures that choose what to burn away from our lives of faith and grace. This is not a gentle or comforting process, but we do not do it alone. In the burning and shaking, there is God. There is God who is steadfast and loving, fierce and bold, present here on earth and in heaven, bringing us to truth and love even though we crowd our thoughts and sanctuaries with the dry and brittle. God comes again and again to show us what is real and necessary for life everlasting.
The Rev. Heather Bachelder is the interim executive director of Agapé + Kure Beach Ministries based in Fuquay-Varina. She divides her time via highway 64 between F-V and Winston-Salem where she lives with her spouse, Aaron and their two dogs, Fred and Xenakis, now that their daughters have taken up lives in New York City. Heather likes to avoid fires of all kinds and lives a life that is both cautious and chaotic.
To Consider
When has your faith been subject to a fire? When did you have to lose a part of your belief system in order to become more faithful?
Where have you felt God when life has been shaken?
Prayer
Loving and present God, when our faith is shaken, you are there. When fires burn to destroy or to cleanse, you are there. Keep us mindful of your presence and give us both courage and caution to live as you would have us live—to love, to serve, and to respond to all suffering with mercy and hope. Amen.