Christian community often meets for worship and gets its identity from such a gathering, but in Melanesia the ordinary everyday gathering comes first as the source of our identity, and worship is not until the end. The most powerful element people are identified with is fire. Ordinary gathering is centred on fire. To that end, fire isn’t just the flame as the result of dried sticks stacked together. Fire is first the warmth of the people’s relationship: to talk, listen, agreeing in consensus and taking humane actions.

Similarly, the camp fire at night among these communities isn’t a secluded event. Camp fire is always a communal event. And fire comes first before people’s gathering. This is because of the warmth that the fire gives to all who gather around, and out from which people in turn, reach out to embrace one another. Above all, fire is a symbol of presence. In Melanesia, wherever the community gathers around the fire, it is always with the belief that the dead and the living community gathers together. The camp fire has a religious significance, as fire symbolises the presence of the Great One calling on the living community to be responsive to its needs and those of others.

Advent for Melanesians in their observance of fire is taking on a new meaning. Wars which caused much human misery, death, disintegration of families, and the loss of innocent lives have caused indigenous peoples to light their fires and camp around fires at nights. Like the vision of Isaiah, when the ‘wolf will live with the lamb,’ Advent fire is our way of sitting, remembering and praying for that future to come, for those who are homeless, hungry, wounded and have lost their hope. They become the fire in our midst and we treasure their lives. As the fire is lit, and brightly glowing, each moment we see beyond their sufferings and pains; the hope when wars shall be no more. Advent fire becomes a future that is now. This is the future that, calls us to sit, remember, embrace to our hearts the sufferings and the pains of our sisters and brothers throughout the world who suffer the most for no reason of their own.

The warmth, glow and hope of the Advent fire is ‘unexpected beauty’ in both the present and the future, as we await the ‘glorious dwelling’ of the Lord (Isaiah 11:10).

*Common Grace has partnered with Anglican Overseas Aid to help amplify the voice of Christians across the Pacific who are already experiencing the impacts of climate change. You can support their important work in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu by making a donation on their website.