Bonfires and Water Pistols

Bonfires 
I have this amazing image of a blazing bonfire burned into my memory. It is warm and inviting and many gather around it, enjoying the heat, the glow, and the sparks that fly skyward and disappear before they get anywhere near the heavens. Bonfires are hot, and getting too close can singe clothes and exposed hair and or attached flesh.

Water Pistol
Now picture someone coming along with a water pistol in hand. The one holding the pistol has potential power. They could turn the gun on you, and squirt you in the eye. Annoying, but harmless, depending on the fluid. They could turn the gun toward the fire, shooting in an attempt to dampen the wood and extinguish the flames. That would be annoying, for them, because our bonfire would require buckets of water to be turned down... if putting the fire out is the goal, and the fluid is H2O, this method will not do. This same someone could be armed with something quite different, an unexpected liquid in that pistol. Let us suppose they take aim and shoot at our bonfire again, and once the fluid hits the flames, they suddenly leap to fabulous unexpected heights, surprising gawking fire gazers. Ahhh yes, you are thinking correctly dear reader, there is Fire Starter in that tiny, innocent looking gun.

Armed, but dangerous?

1. Shooter number one: armed but not dangerous, kind of a Jester that can be tolerated only for so long. He doesn't appreciate the beauty and majesty of fire; how did he enter onto the scene?

2. Shooter number two: armed but Dangerously Dull, attempting to put out the flames because he can't take the heat; he can't stand the brightness, the glow and light fire casts. This guy snuck into our circle somehow.

3. Shooter number three: armed, almost dangerously, Fire Starter understands the nature of fire, what fire needs to build and become. This guy is in the right place: he will not sacrifice the beauty of the flames and encourages them to continue to burn red hot and brilliantly, lighting up the darkness.

Fire burning brightly
lights the darkness

Burning brightly 
Now, picture you as the flame... burning brightly. Imagine those that surround you, the ones that love your kind of fire. Next, select a shooter. Which one do you prefer? Of course, I am directing you dear one, leading you to Fire Starter. I am playing at metaphors and grinning as I go.

Never to be dampened
Flames and Fire Starters, they are a wonderful, cheery match, aren't they? Don't let anyone put out your flame dear one. Next, there is this: always be a source of heat and light for others. You can start a fire, fuel a fire, but never ever dampen or put one out in another: that, is sacrilege.  

Trade Off

What I tell you in the darkness, that speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops (Matthew 10:27)

Well now, this is rather... uncomfortable, isn't it? God isn't asking, he is telling us to take action, to speak. In this two-part verse, we learn that God is speaking to us in the darkness and that He whispers in our ear. Has he spoken to you? Have you heard his whisper? If so, are you speaking in the daylight, are you proclaiming from the housetops?

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10)

This verse comes from Paul, who is making it plain to his listeners that he speaks what God has asked him to speak. It would have been much easier for him to continue in his humanly glorified position of official Christian Hunter/Killer, than it was for him to proclaim Christ as Saviour. He had it good, dear reader, before he became an apostle, at least, by mans standards. Tradition has it that he was killed for preaching the gospel, by hanging upside down on a cross or a beheading. Paul was compelled, not crazy. He was in the dark when God whispered in his ear: in obedience, Paul became a Proclaimer in broad daylight. 

The competing voice, it shames us into silence 
The competing voice is the one that says, you don't have to repeat what you hear; you don't have to share what you know. Stay off that housetop and keep your "religion" to yourself. You don't want to be seen as a crazy big mouth, do you? pushing your Christian crack on people! What are you anyway, some kind of nut job? Leave people alone, let them believe what is right for them, after all, who made you the smart one? What makes you think you are right and they are wrong: that is arrogant!

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:42-43)

A matter of conscience

Glorifying God Gives Off Light

 

Proclaiming Christ is not about bravery, it is about conscience. I could not deny Him, not for the life of me, and I mean this in the most literal sense. He laid down his life for me and my question has been: would I do the same for others, for Him? Would I do what Paul famously did: pouring out his life in pure love and devotion for the glory of God, in the name of his Saviour?

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you (John 15:13-14)

Love and loyalty go hand in hand, don't they dear one? When was the last time someone stuck up for you? When was the last time you spoke and acted on behalf of another, selflessly, without the promise of praise or reward? Is Jesus your friend and at this point in the writing, are you a friend to Him?

And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2)

You might lose some friends when you declare Him your number one. You might be considered crazy and weird, one of those Jesus freaks. Shrug, I think the trade off is worth it, don't you? 

Now picture me grinning dear one... The trade off is worth it!

Moral Mind

I had a friend who spoke truth to me and then, sadly, became a liar. While the truth remains, she has not. Our friendship dissolved many years ago, and more recently, she died suddenly.

Clandestine meeting
I am pondering, who the liar really is? Was she the one, or was it me? She was an interesting person, full of life, excitement, stories and drama. It was the drama part that was the undoing of our friendship. I couldn't keep up with her and when she introduced me to her boyfriend, that was the final straw that broke the friendship back. 

She was married with two children. She was also going to couples counselling to fix her husband, but was unwilling to give up her boyfriend at the same time. One day, on my birthday, she introduced me to the man she was seeing, on the side as the saying goes. I still recall the clandestine meeting, and my massive discomfort, following our coffee shop encounter, as I drove away. I knew she set up this meeting so I that I would collude with her illicit activities. She had many reasons for justifying her behaviours, and wanted a close friend to be "in on it" with her.

Morally corrupt story
There were signs along the way of degeneration in her thinking, and corresponding secretive and sinful activities. She had wiley ways of sharing information, that leaned in the direction of justification for her decisions. I recall her attempts to make her husband really wrong. She would enrage him, wanting him to assault her, so that she could have him removed from their home. 

Funny how far she was willing to go to ensure she got her own way. Funny how badly she wanted me to agree with her, and buy into her make believe self-imposed morally corrupt story. 

As the lies accumulated over time, their weight pressed down on me, and contact with her felt like exposure to the worst toxins. I had to question my own integrity, and wonder about how much of our eleven year friendship was based on lies? 

• Was I covering for her? Did I encourage her? 
• Was I accountable in any, in many, in countless ways, for her choices and wayward wanderings? The resounding question became:
• What role did I play in this woman's downfall? 

I could not be her friend

On the heals of these disturbing musings, came a decision based on a sick feeling: I could not collude. I could not be a contributor to her rantings, her rationalizing, her cheating and self-indulgent ways. I could not be her friend any longer.

Why am I telling you this, dear reader? It is to share this wisdom:

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend (Proverbs 27:17)

I did not sit by
I confronted my friend. I pointed out to her that she was engaging in immoral, and reprehensible behaviours. I challenged her thinking and her dangerous activities (these go unmentioned here; suffice it to say she endangered many as she allowed an escalation of emotions to take over her reasoning). 

I did not sit by, saying nothing. This would not be commensurate with the type of friendship I value. As she walked away from truth, I did not hold her hand. I did not commend her to evil ways. I did not: friends do not stand by while people they care about self-destruct, making choices that negatively, long term and often permanently, impact, and or destroy, relationships.

Gratitude
I am grateful. I have so many friends, and not a one of them leaves me the way I am! When I am a dull knife, they become iron and without hesitation, begin sharpening me. Because of my excellent reasoning skills, I have the ability to know what is good for me, and I snap out of stupid mode quickly, when one of my life partners says STOP IT! Wise people heed excellent advice, and I have many a wise whisper in my life. 

I am truly blessed.

A challenge for you

Pinky swear to honesty

Dear one, let us turn our gaze in your direction:

• Do you have a friend that is self destructing, while you stand by and encourage them to feel good about themselves and their choices? 
• Are they fooling around, or neglecting the important people in their life, while you listen and nod your head, buying into their bull crap, about how hard-done-by they are?
• Are you a contributor to the breakdown of a family, because you want to maintain friendship, over challenging your friend to be an accountable and honest person? 
• Are you colluding with another, because to challenge them requires more effort than you, are willing to make? 

Dear reader, make believe stories destroy families and relationships. Recall, my friendship started in truth, and ended with the stench of lies. That is not all that ended. My former friend, her death was sudden and from what I have learned, she was a very lonely, and disturbed person prior to her leaving this world. I couldn't change her mind, or the outcome of her life choices, but I sure did try.

Be iron for someone
Maybe, just maybe, you can be iron for someone? Maybe you can say stop it and they will listen. Maybe you are the only one that they will be able to hear because they trust you, and know that you believe in them still? 

Do something dear one. Take a stand, speak your moral mind, stop the tragedy of doing nothing at all...

We are our brothers and sisters keeper, that is what true friendship is all about