The Flame

I know you might be amazed, but I found the website which hosted a live webcam stream, following the Olympic Torch as it passed through the Scottish towns of Kilmacolm and my church hometown of Port Glasgow. It was good to see the welcoming crowds cheer the progress of the flame as it was taken through the familiar streets of my local district.

Then the runner took it down the same road as my church, and as it got closer, I was thinking what an analogy of God’s Spirit to His church in general. For any church to be truly alive, it needs the flame of the Spirit of God, and I was eager to see the symbolic flame as it reached my church.

I was not expecting the torch to stop its progress about 50 yards before it got to the place of worship, and so my analogy was shot! The flame was safely put into an escort vehicle, and they all sped past on their way to the next location. Then I was left without a point, or was I? Would it not be a shame if the flame of the Spirit of God, got near to a church, but never made it all the way? So near and yet so far. A near miss, but a miss nonetheless! In the case of the Olympic Torch, it was waiting transport that took the flame away, but in the case of the flame of God’s Spirit? Let His Word say it for us: Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Rev 2:5 NKJV. It’s worth noting that it is God Himself who does the removing!

Quite a warning, so let us help to keep the flame alive in our hearts, and in the many and different churches we each represent. I like the way Jesus says these words as recorded in Matthew 5:16 NKJV: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. May God help us to be faithful to that command.