set out in the dark

set out in the dark.
i will send fire to warm and encourage you.
i will be with you in the fire, and i will be with you in the cloud.

set out in the dark

when i set out for my yagm year, i was in the dark on a lot of things. i didn't really know what i would be doing, what it would be like, or anything like that. i set out, knowing god was both going with me and already waiting for me, calling to me from rankovce, slovakia. there is very little in my life of faith that lets me see everything that is coming. in fact, there always seems to be some dark; some unknown to wrestle with, but if i were to try to wait until i could see in plain light all that is to come, more likely than not, i would spend my life waiting, never quite seeing everything that is to come.

the dark is filled with the unknown, one of the scariest things for many people. when it is dark, imaginations can take over filling your head with scary things, but we know that god is the light that will fill our darkness. when we set out in the dark, the light comes to us. the light meets us where we are and, though it can be hard to look directly at it, and though it may not show all the things before us, it helps us know the way we've come and where we're headed - at least for now.

i will send fire to warm and encourage you.

i love fire. i know, there's that whole "fire and brimstone" thing, and that's not so great for me (perhaps because i really don't know what a brimstone is), but your average, everyday type of fire: great! when i worked at camp, i would relish in the smell of my clothes and my hair after spending time around the campfire. roasting marshmallows for s'mores. singing songs. telling stories. listening to don simonton talk about the beginnings of rainbow trail. huevos in the morning. the smell of brisket cooking all day during family camp. shishkebabs for senior high. time spent snuggling together watching the flames and feeling the warmth. fire has always made me feel good. it has, indeed, warmed and encouraged me.

so, imagine my joy when in our backyard here in rankovce, i found: a fire pit! in the villages, it is common to have "opekačky" during big get togethers. klobasa (sausage) is provided, along with bread, ketchup, mustard, onions, and maybe a few other veggies. the sausages are put on sticks or skewers and each person heads to the fire to cook their own. the cooking time can be filled with anything from conversation to singing to quiet reflection. by the end, we are all warmed, encouraged, and satisfied from the fire and the food. god is in the fire that brings us together, that renews and warms us, and that gets us ready to be sent out into the world, to carry that small flame inside us.

i will be with you in the fire, and i will be with you in the cloud.

ok, i've already talked about my love of fire, so here's the flip side. first of all, in the exodus story (the reason why passover is celebrated), exodus 13:21-22 states,

"the lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people."

in this case, the fire and cloud were in front of the israelites and provided safety and guidance. here in the world, fire and cloud can provide rejuvenation and nourishment for nature. as humans, many of us have also come to fear fire and clouds.

fire destroys our material possessions and clouds can cause rain, which also destroys our material possessions. though the two are found throughout nature, when they cross paths with humans, they are most likely going to be despised, or even feared. but, maybe that's the point. maybe the point is to take something that can cause destruction and fear and let it be the symbol for god, so we know that when things are hard and we're hurt or afraid, god is there. god is with us in the fire, in the pain and heat and persecution. and god is with us in the cloud, in the flood of information, accusations, and tears.

god is with us in our joy. in our dances and songs around campfires, in the nourishment from food cooked together, in the rain that waters the earth. god is with us in the fire, and god is with us in the cloud.

god is with us in our pain. in our burned houses full of memories, in the wartorn parts of our world, in the flooding throughout the world. god is with us in the fire, and god is with us in the cloud.

set out in the dark.
i will send fire to warm and encourage you.
i will be with you in the fire, and i will be with you in the cloud.