one-match fire

Renée Antrosio – August 16, 2022 1 Comment

Alaska State Park cabins are an amazing way to enjoy the extraordinary beauty of the mountains without having to pitch a tent in the wilderness. They are also in high demand during the summer, so we were fortunate to get a reservation for one night at the Tokosha Cabin in Denali State Park. We were also blessed with great weather for hiking, warm enough that we didn’t even light the fire prepared in the wood stove. Jeff’s teaching reminded me of what my sister taught me about the life-saving possibility of a one-match fire.

Hypothermia is a very real danger in remote places where extreme weather conditions can arise with little warning and one misstep can turn a fun excursion into a life-threatening situation. In cabins situated on snow-melt mountain lakes, park regulations require that each camper leaves a one-match fire prepared in the woodstove for the next person. What does that mean, and why is it so important?

As the name suggests, a one-match fire is a careful arrangement of paper, kindling, and small wood that is ready to burst into a roaring fire with the strike of a single match. For someone shivering wet verging on shock, having a ready-made instant fire could mean the difference between life and death. Each person prepares by arranging this for the next occupant, imagining what a stranger might need in crisis. This hospitality and thoughtful care is both practical and a great metaphor to contemplate.

How do we care for the stranger needing help in sudden crisis? When we are comfortable and safe, can we arrange our resources to be easily accessed to assist others? There is a sense in which a one-match fire pays it forward. We never know when we will be the one in need. We provide for others in faith that they will also prepare for us. We are connected to each other, even when we don’t always know how our actions affect another. 

In a territory marked by rugged self-sufficiency, there is also the keen understanding of our interdependence. We are part of a community of seen and unseen individuals, our closest companions and people we have not yet met. How can we be generous and thoughtful citizens of our world, acting as children of the kingdom of heaven? The childhood camp song comes back to me, “It only takes a spark, to get a fire going…” and I am reminded that one of the first observations God made about human beings was that it is not good for an individual to be alone.

As we go about our days, may we reflect on how others have prepared life-saving fire to warm us in times of crisis. May we arrange our resources to give quick help in time of need. May we better understand our human interdependence in the midst of this awesome creation that God has given us to steward. And may the Holy Spirit light the fire in our sometimes weary souls. -Renée