Matthew 5:14-16
When Troop/Pack 219 was meeting in this church 40 years ago, I was a junior high youth in Boston. I didn’t know any of you then, but I am grateful and honored to know you today. My older brother of one year, Philip was in the Boy’s Scout but for some unknown reason to me, I wasn’t. But I can remember going with him and my mother to Jordan Marsh department store where in this obscure corner of the store, he bought his khaki uniform, scarf, and the canvas belt with the brass scout insignia on it. I thought it was pretty cool then.
Scouts had this huge, thick Boy’s Scout handbook with drawings and illustrations about everything you needed to know to survive in the out of doors, giving first-aid, tying knots (I never knew what was the value in knowing how to tie different kinds of knots), using a compass, and building a campfire. Although I was never a scout, I did go camping and built a lot of campfires. My guess is that if I were to ask you to build a campfire now, you would know how to do it—maybe even eager to build one. For most of you here today, the closest you get to build a campfire now is to turn on the barbecue with the electronic ignition!
Whether you build a teepee campfire with all the logs leaning on each other or a log cabin campfire with the wood squarely piled on top of each other, you need to have kindling first. This is combustible twigs, leaves, pine needles, and sticks to start the fire going. Without these readily burning things, our campfire will not start. And it’s cheating to use newspapers or starter fluid!
Next we gather larger logs, split if possible to let the flames lick at the wood to burn. The wood needs to be dry and seasoned for a hot fire. We have more logs on the side perhaps even larger ones to put on the fire when it has created enough glowing embers to ignite these bigger pieces. And the fire needs tending—sometimes fanning it; other times shifting the logs around to create more draft; and then putting on more wood to keep it going.
From the images of a campfire, we are reminded of a number of lessons to learn about life. Before a fire can have life, it first needs kindling. Our Lord, Jesus Christ is the spark and flame that starts the fire going. Without Christ, our lives remain dark and unclear. And we might be tempted to use artificial and inappropriate ways like starter fluid to try to start the fire in our lives going.
The larger logs represent the rich and memorable experiences that continue to build a strong foundation for living. When I read your “biological sketches,” I can see how each of your lives has been affected and shaped by wonderful opportunities like being in Troop 219. You have careers that contribute to the welfare of society. You have families and friends who are upright and loving. You reflect wisdom and insights because of being morally sound and ready to serve.
After 40 years, I see that you still have plenty of logs lying on the side of your campfires to add to the fire of life. There is still so much you can do to make this world a better place that God has created it to be. (terrorism, war, homelessness, dishonesty, corruption, etc.) I can see that it’s sentimental and nostalgic to remember all those times when you built and sat around a campfire. Toasting marshmallows and eating s’mores will always get us to a campfire. But after 40 years, we still need to build and light campfires elsewhere.
Remember how it felt like coming home after camp. It’s a real letdown because we still wanted to be at camp with our friends and do fun things and sit around a campfire. Perhaps the reason why you have come today is that you still have this residue feeling of how great Troop 219 was and feeling that warmth of the campfire on your faces. We might not do a lot of camping or building campfires anymore. But we can build campfires in the world. We can build campfires in our workplaces and in industry to reveal team building and honest work ethics. We can build campfires in our homes to shine strong family relationships of caring and mutual respect. We can build campfires in our community to illuminate God’s love for all people and not make religion the cause of violence. There are so many places that God is asking you to build campfires in the world.
Jesus taught his disciples,
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be
hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket,
but on the lampstand, 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 in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:14-16)
Your campfire is a burning fire before others. When you serve God in humility and obedience, you will do good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
As we come to the Advent and Christmas season this year, let Jesus, the Light of the world, once again be your kindling spark to light up your life for him. In the beginning, Jesus Christ is the life and he is the light of all people. Jesus shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
I know that each of you have experienced your share of life’s dark problems and concerns. Remember that Christ is the light in your life and whatever hardship, crisis, tribulation, persecution, and trouble you may have, Christ will shine in your darkness and the darkness will not overcome it.
Our reunion today is much like the gathering around a campfire again. We have fanned our memories by getting to know each other again, by reading about what we have done in our lives, by watching old slides taken 40 years ago. And through this all, we have sensed and experienced God’s love in Jesus Christ the Light of the world. May you go from this fellowship with a renewed fire in your hearts to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.
Let us pray.
Gracious God, you who watched over us 40 years ago, you are still watching over us today. For the past 40 years, some of us have been in the wild wilderness; some of us have been in the dry desert; some of us have sailed on stormy seas. But throughout our various journeys, you have been trustworthy for which we are thankful. We pray that you will continue to ignite our campfires of life to bring light to the world. In Christ we pray. Amen.