A Case for the Bonfire

I think there is a case to be made for the bonfire.

I’ll admit, I might be a little biased…

I love fire.

I don’t usually say it like that, though.

I make sure to say that I love bonfires.

It sounds less … threatening. Evidently, walking around with matches, looking for things to set aflame while saying that I love fire, makes folks a bit uneasy. I’m not quite sure why.

All jokes aside, I do love bonfires. And I like them for reasons beyond just the flames.

In fact, I believe the world would be a better place if more people would occasionally gather around an evening bonfire.

Let me present you with my list of why evening bonfires are, well, fire … or lit, or whatever the kids are saying nowadays.

1. Bonfires are slow. In a world of overstimulation, breaking news, stress, and rushing from task to task, gazing into a fire is slow. It draws you into the present moment. And as the world around you descends into night, your world is reduced to the glow of firelight. That almost sounds poetic.

2. Bonfires remind us of our fragility. Especially now, as autumn winds grow chilly, if you want to sit outside at night, you need a fire. If you are too far from the flames, it is cold. If you scooch too close to them, you get burned. When you find the perfect spot, you realize that life hangs in a delicate balance. It may seem like man has tamed this world, but we are not as strong as we believe ourselves to be.

3. Bonfires bring people together. When else do we gather in circles to laugh, talk, sing, and discuss? Bonfires have a way of sparking thought and kindling discussion. In recent years, undistracted time with family and friends has become increasingly rare. As a result, the strength of relationships, creativity, and openness to new ideas have been cast to the wind. A simple bonfire can strengthen family ties and friendships.

4. Bonfires remind us of our forefathers. In our modern Western society, we enjoy luxuries of which many parts of the world and nearly everyone in every past historical era could only dream. Sitting around a fire reminds us that things haven't always been this way. Lightbulbs haven’t always lit hallways; bathrooms haven’t always allowed for warm showers … or showers at all; comfort has never been as common as it is now. Our ancestors lived very different lives than we do, and more than likely, fire played a significant role for them.

I will resist the urge to continue with the thousands of wonderful life-metaphors that fire offers us and instead conclude this contemplation with a brief call to action:

Get your friends and family together. Light a bonfire. Talk. Sing. Discuss. Wonder. Stand in awe of life and the world. Feel the cold wind. Warm your hands over hot coals. Slow down. Be thankful.

In the evening, as I walk down streets and pass houses, the flickering blue light of TV screens emanates through windows, casting long shadows in dark yards.

Silence fills the night.

I can’t help but think that this world would be a better place if the setting sun were bid farewell by sparks and tinder colliding;

If evening towns and countrysides were dotted with bonfires;

If laughter and song filled the night sky, and friends and family huddled close to the flames and to one another for warmth.

Yes, I think there is a case to be made for the bonfire.