Fire

Today is shaping up to be a cold and windy day.  It is the kind of day that reminds us of the ferocity of nature.  God's creation wants us to know it can be both warm and comforting, or it can be brutal.

I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  - Matthew 3:11

In today's Gospel reading, Matthew shares the words of John the Baptist, who tells the Pharisees that the coming Messiah is going to kick butt.

But Jesus didn't come with a winnowing fork and fire to lay waste to the wicked and bring down the evildoers.  In fact, compared to the foretelling of him, he seemed quite tame in his lifetime.  Did John get it wrong?

When we think of our Baptism, we don't think about the fire.  For us, it is a Baptism with water and the Holy Spirit, a combination of what John did and what he said Jesus would do.

The fire we save for later, when Jesus comes again.  In that time, the second coming, we will see the good and bad separated, with some being saved and some thrown into the fire.

But Jesus spoke of fire as a purifier, a way of melting out the impurities in the refinement of metals like silver and gold.  It is a key part of the process of getting to greater purity.

So, where is the fire in our lives today?

What is it we are going through that helps to burn off the impurities in our lives?

I think the message here is one of a journey toward greater knowledge and kinship with God.  We begin with Baptism, but the salvation we desire doesn't end there.  It starts us on a path that is filled with tests and challenges, each having the potential to change us.

It is the Holy Spirit which dwells within us that gives us the strength and the courage to endure the trials of this life, while living in the hope of the joys of the next.

Of course that is easy to say if I am not going through difficult times.  I could look at someone who is struggling and say, "He is being tested.  I had better pray for him."

But Jesus said we should do more than offer prayers for those in need.  And that is good, since all of us are in need of something at one time or another.

We are to be ready to help, to share in the struggle, to carry our brothers and sisters through the flames.

So, Baptism, therefore, is  the first step in the adoption process, the commitment to be there for each other, to help each other through the struggles and tribulations of life, to help keep each other on the path.

It is not a license to condemn others, but to help them stay alive.

Are we doing that?

I think we can do a better job.  But then again, that is why we have the fire, to improve the quality of the product.

Each day, we have an opportunity to jump in and help our brothers and sisters.  If we remember our Baptismal vows, we will do what it takes to help.

And we will all find a little more joy and comfort in the process.

More to come...