From the Editors August 20, 2012 Issue

Sparks, embers, and fire

The Editors

Whether it’s a wood-burning stove, an open fireplace, a campfire, or a barbecue, the conventional wisdom is, don’t let the fire go out! Even if left unattended for a period, fires can be coaxed back if there are just a few embers, or even a tiny smoldering spark. Allowed to go out means starting over.

Translating this wisdom to spiritual progress, individual and collective, the reasoning holds up. It is far more expedient to steadily advance in spiritual growth and understanding than it is to erratically peak and then languish. And certainly allowing the natural love for God and man to be extinguished, however temporarily, is no one’s true inclination. That can only be attributed to an opposing and erroneous encroachment of the carnal mind. 

How do we maintain a steady flame—a burning love for God and man—that makes His requirements for spiritual advancement urgent in our hearts, without overwhelming us with a sense of “too much to do, so little to work with”? 

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