On Fire

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.    All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” - Acts 2:3-4 New International Version

When my grandson Asher was barely a year old, he was mauled by his neighbor’s pit bull dog.

Fortunately, it missed his eye, and being one year old he healed quickly after the surgery. I

worried that after this attack Asher would be frightened by the sight of dogs in the future. It

appears not to have phased him as he shows no fear of dogs in spite of all he went through.

When you see a picture of a dog does it remind you of something terrible or does it remind you

of your best friend? The same image can cause different feelings in different persons. Fire is

the same way. For some fire triggers thoughts of terror. Perhaps you were burned or lost your

house in a fire. For others it’s a sign of warmth or enthusiasm.

When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost, the Spirit came in a visible way. It

looked like tongues of fire resting on the people’s heads. Is this a scary image for you or one of

peace and power? Do we want an experience like that or does it scare us to encounter God?

I hope that no matter what you might have experienced in the past that you will be open to the

Holy Spirit. Maybe the Spirit won’t come with tongues of fire but with the gifts of the Spirit

such as love, joy, peace, and all the rest. However the Spirit comes, may we be open to what

God might do in our lives, and may we all be “on fire” for Christ.

Mark Miller