Fire Transforming Us for the Good

For many people, relaxing by a campfire is a favorite summer activity — a moment of peace where time slows, shadows stretch long, and the flicker of flames offers both warmth and wonder. As we nestle into the surrounding darkness, gazing into the dancing light, something in us begins to soften. We release the chaos of the day. In that stillness, we often sense God’s presence — comforting, close, and full of love.

Yet Scripture offers another image of fire. In Exodus 24:17, we read:

“Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain.”

This fire is not cozy or tame. It’s powerful, awe-inspiring, even overwhelming. And still, it is holy.

Pastor and poet Steve Garnaas-Holmes reflects on this tension in his poem, writing that God’s fire is not one of destruction, but of transformation. He describes it not as the fire of wrath, but the flame of love — the fire used by glassblowers and bakers, artisans who shape, refine, and strengthen. God’s glory, he reminds us, is not a controlled campfire where we roast marshmallows. It is a roaring furnace that remakes us from the inside out.

This vision of divine fire invites us to think differently about change. Rather than something to fear, God’s refining love — though intense — is meant to draw us closer to who we were created to be: beautiful, strong, and full of grace for the world.

So the next time you find yourself sitting by a fire’s glow — maybe with sticky fingers from a toasted s’more — take a moment to reflect. How is God reshaping you? Where is divine love warming you, challenging you, purifying you? And how might that fire prepare you to love more boldly in return?