Smoke

Many people's homes just went up in smoke and for many of them their entire lives. Amazingly so few people died. What incredible heroes firefighters are!

Here in Palm Springs, we were relatively far from the fires. Still I have seen our own mountains blazing in the night and so I know that ominous feeling of an approaching fire. There's is hardly a more destructive force in all of nature (Tsunamis not withstanding!). Of course, some of the fires were not started by nature. What kind of depraved individual chooses to light a fire that can destroy life and property I can't fathom.

The Message has an interesting section from Eccl. 5. It talks about working all of our lives for a salary of smoke. It seems many tragically found that out literally these past few weeks.

We feel blessed by God to have our homes and then they may go up in smoke. "Meaningless, meaningless" says the Teacher! Indeed, it might be if all of your life is tied up into your material things. Faith in God keeps one from despair in such times, or so I have to believe. If you life is built upon the rock of Jesus Christ, then everything that has value to you can't go up in smoke. Such disasters cause one to reflect on his/her life and what it is all built on. It also puts many of our religious squabbles in perspective. Faith is where the rubber meets the road. If it can't help me when facing disaster then all the right religious argumentation can't help me. That is why our faith must permeate every facet of our life. Otherwise all that we are might just go up in smoke.