Originally published January 2016.

Every day or two of this week, I will be posting various pieces that I have written over the past year in order to start the process of “catching up” to the present. This one is a short story that I wrote last May after dreaming and laughing with my closest friends by a fire, as we drifted to sleep under the stars. Its heart parallels with the theme of my introductory post, as it makes a challenge to rise to the fire that burns within, so I figured I would continue the conversation by making this next in line. Enjoy!

“The Fire Song Within,” May 2015

We lay round a fire, our faces illuminated by its orange glow, the glow that is not only a physical reflection of the combustion of the organic nature of the wood and coal within the circular boundary of stone, but also a spiritual reflection of the combustion of the inorganic nature of the dreams and ideas that emerge and cry out within the cultural boundary of our terribly lost, stagnant world–the newness and rawness of what we see in the life we desire, the life of which we are so confident the Creator breathed into our souls, manifests itself in the smiles on our faces, the flashing of our teeth as we dream and cry out and create together, as we laugh jubilantly in eager expectation to see how our dream of perfect community will come to fruition.

“It is so simple!” we exclaim in frustration, knowing that there is another way to live, not only in communion with God but in communion with our brothers and sisters, living finally as one family, one body, one soul, one Spirit–what we were created to be.

But outside of our small circle of light, whispers of the dark try to make their way in–the distraction and lies of which we are so determined to combat,

the soft, gentle song of Mother Culture that sings,

“Go to sleep, oh ignorant one. Turn your eyes from the light that calls you forth, for you have no control there. You will find no comfort there. You will have no security there. Stay here in the dark with me, for it is here where you can be God, where you can be in control, where you can write the pages of your own story and manipulate Creation how you see fit–use it to your advantage, regardless of the consequences. Do not let yourself go into the light and warmth of the fire, for there you will be burned. Do not let yourself see the truth behind the lies, the flaw in every foundation of this Taker culture, for where will you get money? Where will you get food? How will you be able to move forward? How will you be able to keep yourself on the “one right way” to live, the one that lets you grow exponentially and rise as the ultimate ruler of the world? You will not be able to. This “other way” of which you speak is the lie that leads to death. Life and happiness can only be found in me. Stay here in the darkness. Do not be drawn by the light. Go to sleep. Stay here in the darkness. Do not be drawn by the light. Go to sleep.”

Will the fire catch and spread? Will we be able to break open the cultural boundary of lies and cast light on this dark blanket of ignorance that covers the eyes of so many by which we are surrounded?

Or are we the ignorant ones–idealists with an idea and a dream that are just too good to be true? Will the pressure and strength of our fire turn the coal of our passion into diamonds, or will it only give off useless smoke that rises up and is blown out of existence at the first gush of wind?

I think these things as I lay in my sleeping bag, in the warmth and light of our fire, not afraid of the spiritual darkness and disillusion that threatens us on every side. My eyes are fixed on the vision of the life I want, my ears fixed on the cries of my own heart, my soul fixed on the clear calling of its Creator. As I ask these questions, I am tempted to believe that all hope is lost, but something deep inside my innermost being knows that reality has the possibility to lie in the former part of that last question, and not the latter, and for that tiny inclination, I will hold on to the dream. I will hold on to the ideal. I will hold on to a simpler calling in life and a higher calling in Spirit. 

I will hold on to it, and I will fight for it. 

What does one do when the song being played by the world is actually a terribly broken record with no sensible melody, jumbled noise thrown together in chaos? You can:

1.) Plug your ears and act like it is not there. You can tune it out just enough to convince yourself that it is not as bad as you think, or just try to wait it out, wait and do nothing in hopes that the scratched part of the record will pass and something beautiful will be played again eventually.

But what if it does not pass? What if this is not a phase but a never-ending scratch that will only dig deeper into the record of life on earth until there is no material left for the stylus to convert into music? Are you willing to sit back and watch the years of your life slip away into nothingness while you are stuck, locked in your false reality, praying that it might come to an end somehow? Are you okay with complacency?

2.) You can react with rage and bitterness and let yourself become so weighed down with anger and resentment toward the way things are that you can never find joy in this life, for you let yourself get so lost in negativity that what good is left in the world is poisoned and tainted when seen through your negative lens. You can see the society for what it is, but you sit back and do nothing but whine and complain. “We’re all doomed, so what is the point?”  you say. “I cannot be the savior of the world alone, so therefore I will not waste any of my energy. What I can do will not do anything in the big picture; trying will make no difference in the end, so why waste an extra breath on a lost cause?” A sad life, I must say.

3.) You begin to sing a new song, a song whose melody directs the world to another way.

A song whose rhythm reaches into the depths of the soul and coaxes out the courage, discipline, faith, and perseverance needed to embark on the journey to find it and pursue it.

A song whose form creates structure amidst the chaos, a firm foundation on which this new life can be built with excellence.

A song whose tempo shows that the time is now, that the earth is slipping out of our firm grasp quickly, and we must act to create a change before there is no recovering it.

A song whose tone has an intensity so great that no one can deny its existence, its truth, its genuine essence, its purity–one that is steady and will not falter at the first sign of hardship.

A song whose pitch remains in tune and does not show any hint of hypocrisy or pretense.

A song whose dynamics set the volume at a level loud enough to penetrate the hardened hearts, the bitter minds, the sleeping bodies of those under Mother Culture’s spell.

And finally, a song whose harmony calls attention to the fact that this new way cannot be pursued and made into reality in solitude, for just as harmony in music requires a compilation of more than one note, more than one chord, more than one pitch to create a working piece of music, this new way will require more than one person, more than one talent, skill, or specialty, more than one gift, more than one vision. It will require community–not the false, pretentious community that is so prevalent in the present society, where it is created only for an environment in which to further ones personal agenda through manipulation of others.

No, it will take real, genuine community founded in love,

One founded in a love that is patient and kind, one that does not envy or boast and is not proud, one that does not dishonor others or take advantage of others out of selfishness, one that is not easily angered and does not keep a record of wrongs, one that does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, one that alway protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. 

There is no other way to change culture but to create a new culture to take its place, so that is what we must work toward.

We must sing a new song.

We must tap into the strength and perseverance only given by living in the Spirit, and let it be the driving force that leads us on. We are forming the beginnings of a choir. We have taken in the idea of it all, and it is just a matter of time before that breath inhaled finds its way out to be manifested in reality, and exhalation that breathes air so intentionally and carefully as it travels out of the lungs and over the vocal cords of this new way, that when vibrated, create a song with all of the elements compiled in perfect unity to start the beginning of a new song that speaks to our souls more clearly than we could have ever imagined.

It is coming. It is rising up. It is almost at the tipping point, and I, along with the rest of creation, wait in eager expectation for it to be revealed.

Cheers to the journey, and may your Spirit always reside in a state of wonder.