Jesus Was a Fireplace

Taking pictures of fireworks with your phone is probably one of the dumbest things things you could possibly try to do. Why?

1. It's a phone. Not a DSLR fancy-shmancy my-lens-is-bigger-than-yours Indian-soul-catching photographic device.

2. You're never going to look at them again. Honestly.

3. Everyone else is doing it. If you so happen to be one of those people that goes back and looks at your old pictures, all you have to do is get someone to text you some of the pictures they took.

4. You won't enjoy the moment. You'll be so busy getting the right angle and picking the right Instagram filter that you'll miss the sheer beauty and simplicity of watching organized explosions light the night sky.

However, if there was ever a time to take pictures of fireworks, this past New Year's Eve was it. I say that mainly because, in my city, there were a total of 22 minutes of fireworks. Yes, you read that correctly. Twenty-two minutes. MINUTES. What?!

Yup. 

I could've taken a shower in half the time. I could've gone to the store, made a sandwich, shared it with a bum, (common to our area) and been back in time to catch most of the explosive grandeur. I could've caught up on all the seasons of Lost. (Probably not true.)

But as I sat there absorbing the light with my ocular vision-spheres (common English for eyeballs), I began to realize something. Though there are few things on this planet that provide as much light as fireworks, they are still cold. Normally, when one thinks of light, they also think of the heat it provides, like the sun. However, I've never heard of anyone basking in the warmth of fireworks. Despite how cool they are to look at, despite all of their flashiness, and despite all of the majesty of these light displays, they are still distant, cold, and want little to do with the lowly humans they provide light for. For all of the shock, awe, and boom they offer, they are still too good for us down below, proving it by running as fast as they can away from us.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5)

I want to be a fireplace. Though the light it gives is not as organized as those of fireworks, and though they provide little but a humble, unobtrusive light, they give what many people are missing nowadays.

Warmth.

Standing on a stage and impressing people is easy. It is a simple matter to wow the masses. It is no difficult task to be a light show that gives little warmth to the humans watching from below. It is a much more difficult matter to step down into the crowd, be a part of them, and get close enough to transmit heat. Standing above the friction ensures a safe distance from the problems of those below, but it eliminates the opportunity to get involved in a more meaningful way.

Jesus was a fireplace.

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