(ThyBlackMan.com) The quest for fire, it has long been the goal of man ever since his expulsion from the Garden. Its ever-glowing radiance is not only a metaphor for passion, but for warmth and innovation and the divine insight of wisdom. No doubt man got his first look at it when the Lord sacrificed a lamb to cover the nakedness of the idolatrous Adam and his woefully deceived wife Eve. Having fallen for the half-truths of the serpent, both are expelled from paradise now subject to the consequences of their wayward choices. And since that day, we have all felt the shivering cold brought on by their costly mistake. As victims of a frigid, dark world we have wandered from millennia to millennia striving to overcome and harness the life-giving powers of a creation also drawn into bondage to error. Yes, we too, are dying to see the fire! But—is that the answer to our collective plight?
I am reminded of the mythological tale of the Greek titan god Prometheus, the wily one who in truth bears all the marks of that slick serpent of bible lore. As the story goes Prometheus was a lover of mankind, and hated to see his creation suffer, so despite the commands of Zeus not to aid nor abet humans, Prometheus against the explicit orders of the chief god brought “fire” to earth. From the onset, it appeared to be the most noble, the most humane thing to do for a creature suffering in his battle against the hostilities of nature. What began as a good thing soon deteriorated into a world of violence, conquest and dominance pitting man against man. This has been the sad epithet of the history of man up unto our present day.
And like Prometheus, mankind in general has continued in its efforts to overthrow the divine will of God. It has procured the “fires” of Prometheus through the advancement of Technology as well as the spiritual import of various religions from around the world including a backslidden modern-day Christianity. The fires of technology, designed to both improve and control nature is conversely destroying it releasing almost irreparable damage upon our whole ecosystem. All of creation is out of order, instead of it being a system founded on “subduing and replenishing,” it is one crushed under the tyranny of Technology driven by the infernal theme of “buying and selling.”
Religion itself has produced the fires of fables and idolatry as a means of perpetuating fertility on a dying planet. This foolish endeavor has further aggravated the curse brought on by the disobedience of our first parents. Diseases, plagues, war, famine, and death are all born of these strange fires. Let’s consider the folly of modern day Christianity which is overrun with clichés, slogans, and trigger words as igniters of a so-called “holy ghost fire” birthed liked the day of Pentecost? Without going into much detail, this hearkens back to what the prophet Isaiah leveled against the Israelites when he berated them for their idolatrous practices stolen from the nations around them. His prophecy states: “…Then shall it be [wood] for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burnet part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire… (Isa. 44:15-20).
As we can see, Technology and Religion are co-conspirators against a Supreme God who in His great benevolence and foresight, devised a plan from the foundation of the world to rescue and sustain man within a world that also requires deliverance. The Father had a better way, instead of fire from heaven in the likes of Prometheus, He sent His life-giving grace in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ the Bread of Life.
As our Messiah and Redeemer, He is the bread come down from the Father that if a man eats thereof, he shall never die. This “bread” is the symbol of life connected to the earth by a covenant relationship and is cultivated by the divine law of husbandry initiated by “subduing and replenishing, sowing and reaping, etc.” Wherein the Promethean fire produces violence, conquest and domination in the earth, the Bread of Life brings forth peace, prosperity, and brotherhood in its fullest. Man is not meant to be a hunter-gatherer but a husbandman; a man likened to Abel, and not unto Cain.
As we approach the Divine festival of Passover (Pesach), let us consider the timing, the season, and the will of God through it that promotes life over death, and peace over violence in the light of Christ’s finished works. Let us also consider, that Passover is the emblem of God’s divine order. His order is a pattern of truth for all to follow that leads into His kingdom. The Apostle Paul warned in his epistle to the Corinthians to discern the body of Christ. If we fail to do so dire consequences will follow. You see, it is the Promethean fire that has produced Easter, a cultural and mythological construct in which many have embraced to their hurt, remember Isaiah’s prophecy. The fire of it is continually destroying the African American community. Consider the violence, the decadence, the poverty and loss of value and heritage and morality of our people—Prometheus! Now, consider the bread of life that comes to restore, to rebuild.
Which will you receive, the Promethean fire, or the bread of life?
Staff Writer; Charlie F. Williams
This devoted Christian can be contacted at; CFWilliams@ThyBlackMan.com.