Fire. Man plays with it. Governments – as men – play with it; as do..without compunction, the princes. They’re their own boss (they think). Fire heats the palaces; and fires the ovens that produce the bread, the potatoes, and cakes..and steaks! Mm-mm, delicious! to satisfy visiting heads-of-states (like the Pope’s). How was it first acquired? and when? Hundreds of little fires light chapels at midnight, for masses gathered around the world, flickering in staring faces of icons both dumb, and blind; recalling The Nativity for example, to help imagine what we worship, hearing notes out of pipes being played at the organ from sheets, of sacred music illuminated by tiny fires, wicks dipped, and re-dipped in tallow..cut, placed, and lit! en masse, to keep faith burning in hearts and minds, throughout life’s difficulties; which, as it turns out, are manifold, –Fire! it does so many cool things. It started in a ring, in someone’s cave; and some kind of a way to vent the smoke, so as not to choke, “Ach! achh-achh!” It went from there, through the various refinements and applications handed down by time..like gunpowder; and the internal combustion engine; to flight! in space (like the tower of Babel, overreaching?). Are we getting our history? with fire?? Fire..God is one; and i s an all consuming one. Does not depend how you define, IS! (which takes us back). At the first, in his creation, there is no mention of fire. Why? Was it unnecessary? Was the earth originally so delectably balmy and dry, and creature-comfortable as to preempt its existence? The Bible tells us so. They didn’t need a fire to feel cozy, actually. Forests didn’t need to burn, they were happy just to sway with the breeze, and reflect, on God’s holiness, demonstrated by the brilliance of the sun..as all, was One. And pyromaniacs did not walk on the planet as of yet, to require the fire to incinerate them; or derelict buildings, too, for that matter, even old churches with their tall stained-glass windows; and no empires clashing occasionally with one another, so that one might..desire the fire! to achieve a pyrrhic victory over his brother empire, in fact! it was just another cool, sunny morning, with occasional clouds and sprinkles expected in the afternoon, there, in fair Eden; and nothin’ more was needin’, no long-underwear for snow and its bitter chill ’cause there ’tweren’t none, just 360 days a year of perfect weather, –like we say, just “..’nother day in Paradise.” And that was it, brothers and sisters, fine and fair, rest of the week, the month..and thee year. There were no pyro’s; and no weathermen! Who needs ’em? And no Walter Cronkite; and, I guess, no need for poets, too, because God’s creation had all of that handled, nothing to fix..not a jot nor a tittle; and no worries, friend. Praise God. THEN, the snake! in the tree; in the middle of the Garden..and the cherubim, and the flaming swords, and all of the rest. So that’s why we needed fire after t h at, Thee End.