It Only Takes a Spark

For language learning I have been working with the school kids in making a field to plant rice. Today, as I write this the Palawono's are planting the rice fields for the coming year. The process leading to this point is a lot more involved than it may sound.

For months the Palawono's have been cutting through the jungle to clear a space for the numerous rice fields. This is complicated by the fact that the only tool used for this is a tukew (a large blade similar to a machete). We have literally cut down a number of forests with the equivalent of nothing more than a machete, this includes many very large trees! What amazes me most is that boys ages 6-9 work like men, climbing way up to the top of trees and hack the whole thing down until nothing remains. I am really impressed at how skilled and hardworking these little guys are! Once the field has been cleared and the tree's are all dead they complete the clearing by setting it all on fire. These fire's really blaze and I am amazed that more of them don't get out of control. The reason they don't, is all of the dead wood burns first, and the fire at least in theory... stops were the living growth remains. I say in theory because these fires can get out of control. In the past and even this year houses have burned down from these fires. And when the houses burn down they literally are left with only the clothes that they happen to have been wearing that day. Even today we went running to put out a fire that got close to a house, so the science of only the dead tree's burning is by no means full-proof. And its not just houses that burn...

My favorite little Palawano, 10 year old Marson was the victim of the burning. Last week he got some 3rd degree burns on his arms and legs, and Danelle has been working with him in the painful process of removing the old dead skin. He tries not to cry, but the pain is pretty intense, so despite his brave smiles and his best efforts to hold them in, some tears and sniffles escape beyond his control.

This year has been especially dry, it rained a tiny bit last night for the first time in about a month or more. This unusual dryness may be contributing to the increased number of rouge fires. As we were looking at the stars last night we saw the glow of various fires dotting the surrounding mountains. These fires were controlled and unintentional and it created a really great visual effect...but then we saw one that seemed to be growing exceptionally large. It made Danelle and I talk about what we would do if a fire were to get out of control near our house. And the conclusion was there really isn't much we could do in way of prevention, all we could really do is take some clothes and get out of the way.

I have enjoyed working with the students in clearing these fields, and the vast majority of the fires go just as planned. In the past I am told, the workers who cleared the fields would yell and yelp when the fire started to blaze to summon the wind to help the fire burn. This use to have spiritualistic implications, not knowing this I would yell and yelp right along with the Palawon's when we would burn the fields...I don't think there is the intended spiritualism today that there maybe once was, but knowing what I know now I probably still would have been more reluctant to participate in this aspect of the burnings.

Fire can destroy but when harnessed it can also purify, bring warmth, and a light that exposes the darkness. We are told that, “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29) to be consumed is not necessarily a bad thing. It is only if we are overcome by evil and cling to sin that this is negative. Our sinful nature is like the dead trees, they are intended to be consumed, but the living trees,like humanity,were never intended to be caught up in the fire. “Therefore do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Rom12:21). “In the same way, let your light so shine before men, that they may see you good deeds, and praise your father in Heaven” (Matt 5:16). Good deeds themselves are a consuming fire capable of igniting peace instead of hostility. Such deeds are like “heaping burning coals” of all consuming love on an enemy's head. (Rom 12:20). Martin Luther King Jr says, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”. Love is a consuming fire that engulfs hatred, enemy's cannot survive, yet from out of its ashes friendships thrive. It only takes a spark to get a fire going, but how we use and respond to the fire is up to us.