Caught In The Crossfire

Our Women's World Day Of Prayer Committee was sent this set of photos from a WWDP person in the USA. These are some of the recent forest fires raging across California.

Look at this photo above, and notice the tall concrete cross on the right side of the picture at the bottom of the hill.

This cross was put up many years ago to honour the veterans of World War 2. The flames surrounded it and engulfed it, as the fire raged across the countryside.

But the next morning, the photographer [Gene Blevins] went back to get more shots - he was amazed that the cross stood firm, and was not scorched or damaged by the heat.

When I received the email, I found myself thinking of the first verse of an old hymn

Beneath the cross of Jesus

  I fain would take my stand,

The shadow of a mighty Rock

  Within a weary land;

A home within the wilderness,

  A rest upon the way,

From the burning of the noontide heat,

  And the burden of the day.

Much as I love the very old hymn, I rather like this new take on it, written by Keith and Kristyn Getty in 2005...

Beneath the cross of Jesus

His family is my own—

Once strangers chasing selfish dreams,

Now one through grace alone.

How could I now dishonour

The ones that You have loved?

Beneath the cross of Jesus

See the children called by God.

May God help all those affected by these destructive fires, and bless the firefighters working to extinguish the flames.