Two fires.

On Friday, the Great Lileks of Minneapolis closed his blog to comments for the first time I can remember since he began allowing comments. He had written a heartfelt entry about the riots racking his beloved city. I think he knows how much his regular gang of Bleatniks feels for him and his town, but I think he didn't want to have to deal with trolls. Maybe he didn't even want to deal with sympathy. When something hurts to a particular degree and there's no means of relief, sometimes you have to endure it in solitude.

Today is Pentecost Sunday.

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

The description of the visible effect of the Holy Spirit's descent, tongues as of fire, is particularly powerful. Fire burns, but energizes; it gives life; it gives light. Before the nineteenth century we lived in a world lit only by fire. But it is dangerous.

The other fire we see today is lit by rioters who mostly don't care about the initial cause of their anger. I don't think the arsonists just want to see the world burn, although the high spirits of destruction adore that sort of thing. This is the spirit of the other kind of fire, born in hate, not in love as on Pentecost. The kind born in love endures all things, turns the other cheek when struck, forgives its persecutors. The kind born in hate despises its own nation and people, destroys the homes and livelihoods of innocents. The authorities could take a page from those who have us COVID-19 and do a Tienanmen Square on them, but they won't even take reasonable responses let alone unreasonable ones. 

This insane year has seen plenty of fevers, but is now reaching a fever pitch. I think our friend PLWoodstock surmised on Lileks's Thursday page that a lot of this destruction may be fueled by quarantine frustration too, and I agree. Violent, greedy, foolish actions are what we can always expect from a mob, but this is another level, the fire fueled by insanity as well as anarchy. And it started in the state known as the nicest in the country.

I know that people are legitimately angry about the issue that sparked this whole thing, and many may cite the famous but anonymous maxim popular with abolitionists: Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum, "Let justice be done though the heavens fall." But who will dole out justice to those who are burning businesses, homes, low-cost housing that belonged to or was meant for their neighbors?

Nothing much can be done from my desk but pray. Come, Holy Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.