earth, wind, water, and fire

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from 2 Peter 3:1-18. Peter tells us that we have fire to look forward to, when the end of the world comes. And it's interesting that our scientists tell us the same thing: that fire is coming. Maybe from climate change, they say, or maybe from an asteroid. But they predict fire, as well.

It's also interesting to note that we humans have water in our collective past. Many cultures have flood stories, and scientists see us rising from the waters as well, in their concepts of evolution and primordial ooze.

We also see air as being a big part of our theology. God BREATHED life into the first humans. The Bible, we're told, is God breathed. The Holy Spirit came upon the early disciples like wind (and like fire, btw.) These days, scientists are very concerned about air... and the preponderance of CO2 that they say there is in it. They want us to plant more trees, and fix the air problem.

And it's not hard to see how earth comes into the story. We are told in the Genesis account that God actually MADE us from the earth... from soil. And the scientists say we evolved from it, as well.

So we came from earth. We were given our breath from God, a wind. We passed through a flood. We have fire to look forward to. These concepts permeate our thinking, even if it's largely on a Jungian, subconscious level. We know.

So let us, like Peter says in tonight's passage, remember. He said he wants to stimulate our wholesome thinking, and to refresh our memory. Let's find common ground with those who don't believe... and lead the to the truth.

God, thanks for those four elements: earth, wind, water, and fire. Thank You for making them part of our memory. Help us to use those truths to bring people to You.