A backfire is a technique to help prevent the spread of a wildfire. As I understand it, firefighters start a new fire in the path of an approaching wildfire. The goal is for the new fire to consume fire fuel the already blazing inferno would use to continue to spread. That weakens the approaching fire. In a sense, this is fighting fire with fire.
As you can imagine, though, a backfire can be dangerous. A quick change in wind direction easily intensifies the already consuming fire. In other words, a backfire can backfire.
In the realm of human relationships, several well-known quotes portray this scenario. You've probably heard that fighting fire with fire only makes more fire. Or if you fight fire with fire, everyone gets burned. People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.
All that to say that our personal backfires can backfire, too. So, be careful when you match word for word, resentment for resentment or anger for anger. An eye for an eye isn't fire talk, but one familiar quote follows our train of thought today: An eye for eye makes the whole world blind.
The world wants to fight fire with fire. Where would our favorite movies and stories be without more fire? As God's people, can we not find another way to put out the fires of hostility, injustice and inequality? Surely God has called us to.
With the dangers of a backfire in mind, listen to some of the words from Psalm 37 again: "Do not fret because of the wicked." "Trust in the Lord and do good." "Refrain from anger and forsake wrath."
How willing are you and I to forsake wrath in all its many forms today?
I can't with full confidence call myself a pacifist. But I do know pacifism isn't what most of us think. Pacifism isn't a sit-aside-and-do-nothing approach to the fires of the world. That would be immoral. Pacifism means "peace making." And that's how I read another line from today's psalm: Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act" (37:5).
Commit your way to God's way. That means to live our your life in the way of Jesus. It doesn't mean we sit amongst ourselves and do nothing, waiting for some action to fall from heaven. It means our actions and our words demonstrate the way of heaven.
Stay blessed...john | 
No comments:
Post a Comment