I’ve been wondering about the role of fire and ash in my life- what are they stirring in me? Of course, Ash Wednesday is steeped in tradition, a visible marking of faith, and the reminder that I am beloved Holy dust. And yet, I feel like there is something I’m missing. Howard Thurman offers some wisdom in his reflection on the promise of fire and the possibilities hidden within the ash.
In response to a letter of inquiry addressed to a Canadian forester concerning the jack pine which abounds in British Columbia, the following statement was received: “Essentially, you are correct when you say that jack pinecones require artificial heat to release the seed from the cone. The cones often remain closed for years, the seeds retaining their viability. In the interior of the Canadian province, the cones which have dropped to the ground will open at least partly with the help of the sun’s reflected heat. However, the establishment of the majority of our jack pine stands has undoubtedly been established following forest fires. Seldom do the cones release their seed while on the tree.”
The seed of the jack pine will not be given up by the cone unless the cone itself is subjected to sustained and concentrated heat. The forest fire sweeps all before it and there remain but the charred reminders of a former growth and a former beauty. It is then in the midst of the ashes that the secret of the cone is exposed. The tender seed finds the stirring of life deep within itself–and what is deepest in the seed reaches out to what is deepest in life–the result? A tender shoot, gentle roots, until, at last, there stands straight against the sky the majestic glory of the jack pine.
It is not too far afield to suggest that there are things deep within the human spirit that are firmly imbedded, dormant, latent and inactive. These things are always positive, even though they may be destructive rather than creative. But there they remain until our lives are swept by the forest fire: It may be some mindless tragedy, some violent disclosure of human depravity or some moment of agony in which the whole country or nation may be involved. The experience releases something that has been locked up within all through the years. If it be something that calls to the deepest things in life, we may, like the jack pine, grow tall and straight against the sky! – Meditations of the Heart
Reader, is there a deep and dormant seed stirring within you too –longing to reach out to what is deepest in this life. Can you see it? Name it? Nurture it? Allow it to grow? Thanks be to God for planting seeds and encouraging new growth!
This reflection inspired by fire and ash, Jack Pinecones, and Burning by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.