August 10, 2021--The Fire This Time

The Fire This Time is a gloss on the Fire Next Time, which comes from a pre-Civil War Negro spiritual that became popular again during the Civil Rights movement. The line is “God gave Noah the rainbow sign, no more water. The fire next time.” The line's a warning about the consequences of living unholy lives.

Which, in regard to the  climate, is how we've been living.

I have been thinking about this as wild fires ravage much of our West Coast.

The Dixie Fire, estimated to be the second largest in California's recorded history, only 30 percent contained, is said to be nearly 490,000 acres in size.

"As large as two New York Cities," someone on CNN said yesterday morning. As a New Yorker this captured my attention.

If we fail to heed these warnings . . . we know the consequences. 

Even casual readers know I am not apocalyptic. But with Heat Domes, explosive city-size fires, and 105 degree weather now routine in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, I'm no longer so sure. I would be hard put to disagree with anyone who has come to this end-of-world conclusion.

Minimally, there are metaphoric meanings. 

I am tempted to stop here. Settle for thoughts about levels of meaning, but we have moved rapidly beyond this. We need to do more. We need to get to work.