Flood Ash (West Coast Fires)

flood ash

Lyrics (with links in context) below.

This piece is about the fires that burned and continue to burn on the West Coast of the United States. Romans 8 speaks of the creation groaning in the world in its current fallen state.

I believe that the natural disasters and ecological devastation that visits humanity is a physical aspect of creation’s groaning. Even these events deemed natural, I believe are part of a fallen creation that we exist in, and that humanity essentially caused to be broken in the first place. We can also, through our actions, and inactions exacerbate that brokeness.

In other words, humanity has an impact on creation which has an impact on humanity.

Alert 312’s song “Flood Ash” helped inspire this in a big way as well. The entire Upside Eternal album should be listened to.

English Majors may catch the Yeats. It’s pretty aparent if you know what you’re looking for.

The article “Subjected To Futility In Hope” by John Piper at Desiring God’s page is a pretty interesting read too, doing a close study of some of the key verses and themes that were behind this piece. I came across it after this was written but still interesting read.

My wife introduced me to the book Braiding Sweetgrass. The tag for the book is “Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.” “Mishikos Kenomagwen: The Teachings of Grass” (pgs 156 – 166), studies an instance in nature, where humanity’s active involvement can benefit the land. The intensity of these recent fires has people talking about the active managment of land in some of our forests.

Subduing and proper stewardship of the earth has a couple layers to it. It’s not only abstaining from certain things, but a call and invitation into activity and tending in a number of ways.

I think the piece itself covers this, and the rest.

so,

---

so,
the sky itself isn’t really orange
or red
or grey…
that change in scheme
that we perceive
those waves of light beams
interacting with objects
interacting with our eyes
it is the groaning.
that concentration of particular particulate matter
in the atmosphere
does something to the skyline before the eye line
yes it is like a sight
but it is also a sound
the drawing closer
and nearer smell
of smoke,
the deteriorating quality of air
is also a sound
it is part of the groaning

fires, combustion, consumption,
they are specific notes of the groans.

and to describe the scene as hellish
is perhaps appropriate,
because there is a certain hopelessness
that the groaning garners as it draws closer,
because of the certain powerlessness
before the doom incarnate,
now zombie shambling,
and
now tornado sprinting,
to your door
implacable
relentless
and unavoidable at this point
as it looms and consumes
and occludes what is perceived of the light.
it is groaning
it is the same groaning
of fluid flooding lungs
or lead poisoning a body
suddenly with a bang
or slowly from the walls…
or the water

and as we human beings
lament the destruction,
and the death,
and groan in our suffering,
it is the creation
that groans as well,
before perhaps tacitly
and now loudly
with violence
and sorrow
in frustration
here.
and to call it apocalyptic
might truly be appropriate,
as the apokálypsis is a revealing
and certain human beings
in the present
are just catching up
just now hearing the low
in the groan in this specific tone,
the fever in the patient unveiled
to new eyes.

it is longing
longing
longing
for the sons and daughters
of God to be revealed
in fullness
in that one day but not-yet-ness
longing for a time
where it, the creation, now
subjected to frustration
will no longer weep
over the mismanagement by
and actions and inactions of persons
and the repeated and cascading
effects of decisions made in a Garden
when God, said to man,
of the created world
there is one step too far
and yes you CAN
take anything of this place
but SHOULD YOU cross a certain line
you and yours will know death.
so proper subduing and stewardship
of the world
means tending to certain parts
and leaving some of it alone,
the earth is the Lord’s
it is to you but on loan
until fully refined
the King makes her His throne
and there is potential in her
you think you can own
but indulging that temptation
may bring expulsion from home
warning given,
but lies and pride and an enemy
urged humanity to temptation
from that tree
take and gain,
exploitation
and they did take and eat
humanity in idolatry
committing this violation
set a precedent
that repeats generation to generation
the climate in the Garden
changed,
crisis introduced
between God and man
man and woman
humanity and the created realms
seen and unseen
through the ages
and fastforward some
and God’s heart is deeply troubled
and the breaking of the firmament
and waters from the deep
could be some fragment
of sorrow flooding
God’s heart within
but in man’s free will
broken fallout repeats
again and again and again
skewed priority and attention
looping fallout
but acceleration
the gyre growing tighter
again again
until Second Coming
Flood Ash since Eden
the toll of human sin
raining [reigning] ever over nature
the groans louder,
louder
again

what is man… that nature is mindful of us?
we grasping perhaps for
solutions or profits or process
too far
too fast
too costly
perishing without knowledge
or maybe it’s wisdom
or some selflessness or kindness
are there plans for those in the sacrifice zones?
because the pattern
natural and fallen
perpetuates
but accelerates…
falls further faster
and faster further falling
is that the plan for those in the sacrifice zones?
resignation to devastation?
Natives knew some tones of the groans
Controlled burns in ages past
Foreign invaders shut that down
Reconsidering management now

Hellish, apocalyptic are perhaps appropriate

Selah

Weep for those who weep.
(Adorn your spirit in sackcloth and flood ash,
For lives lost, verified and yet to be confirmed,
And for homes burned.
While survivors keep household memories,
It is a loss of artifact, history, sanctity, security,
To the groaning.)
-Pray God’s peace.

For this season of fire could rage longer
(Santa Ana may bring louder the sound still.
This, possibly a crackle before greater thunder.
Tinder like conditions,
Perfectly primed for more.)
-Pray God’s mercy.

And for those on the front lines this time
(Local or from overseas
Professional and volunteer),
-Pray God’s protection.

And for prison labor firefighters
(Hoping service leads to freedom,
Leads to opportunity to serve in freedom,
And face fires for more than $5* a day max,
–AB2147 got passed so there is that-
But isn’t it something,
Interlocking systems of combustion? Some of them burning now?
(Pray these chains are broken.) Some beauty for ashes.
Apokálypsis.
Eyes opened indeed.)
-Pray long life in freedom and peace.

And put on a spirit of ashes and lament.

Apocalyptic is appropriate as it is revealing.

Weep with those who weep.
The Carpenter shed blood
to buy back,
and give for the hopeless hope that sorrows one day will end,
but in the not-yet also shed tears over death,
and a cry over an unseeing nation
caught in the groaning
and frustration
and Flood Ash since Eden.

Pray grace and mercy over everything,
Over the pain and frustration and the groaning,
Until the ash is gone.
Pray we rightly see the light [Light]
and the sun [Son]

Pray for rain in a season of fire.

---

*The pay rate could be $1-5 a day plus an hourly wage if actively fighting fires* This is a significant difference. Which really is something. This episode of Rattling The Bars at the Real News Network has more information about prisoner firefighters in California.