Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” (NIV)

Think about the work involved in maintaining a fire.  The location and the availability of fuel are essential.  But how much less burdensome it is to know that you are not alone in caring for the fire and that you might leave to gather more firewood while someone else keeps watch.  Or in turn, that you can watch the fire and stay warm for a spell while someone else is gathering the wood.  The fire stays hot and both of you benefit from the commitment made to one another, the time spent in front of the fire and in sharing the responsibilities it takes to keep the fire alive and blazing. 

When someone is watching the fire with you there are several more benefits.  There’s the time together reflecting in front of the fire and marveling at it.  If you get distracted, the other can alert you to the condition of the fire – maybe a log has rolled out and is dangerous…or maybe the wind has picked up…or perhaps the flames are dying down.  If you get too comfortable sitting in the warmth and don’t feel like getting up to gather wood, the other can encourage you to take action to keep the fuel source in ready supply.  And when you need to rest by the fire, the other can serve you by supplying fuel that they have found and allow you to regain your strength for gathering again later.  If you’ve never maintained a fire, the other can instruct you about what you need to know and the way in which to build the fire most efficiently.  They can watch you practice and assist you, giving you feedback or encouragement about how you’re doing.   You learn a lot together and you mark important moments throughout the experience.

And eventually, once you become proficient enough, your experiences can be an inspiration to others to start fires together. 

Questions to consider: 
Who are you building fires with – do you need to take action before your fire goes out?  
Is there anything you can do to help another person stoke their fire? 
How can you inspire others to start fires together?

This entry was posted on Monday, August 27th, 2007 at 7:41 pm and is filed under Week 2: Ring of Fire. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.