Why California Burns
Some answers are so obvious.
You go to your local hobby shop, pick up a jigsaw puzzle, and take it home. You open the box and dump out all the pieces. You know what the picture is supposed to look like, but you have all these pieces with no apparent connection. To solve this puzzle, you start by sorting pieces that you think share a connection. After you’ve done the task of sorting, you go piece by piece to bridge connections until you finally see the whole picture.
Sometimes, we want these pieces to fit together even if they don’t fit. I’ve sometimes wanted to stomp down on an ill-fitting piece with a closed fist to make it work. Make the puzzle fit whether it likes it or not!
There are other times when we get the order and process wrong.
I was recently building a Lego project, and I realized mid-build that I had used the wrong pieces early that were meant to be placed later.
I had all the pieces, but my judgment was off, and it kept me from getting to the final product. I had to go back and remove the misused pieces in order to put myself back on track.
The road to finding important answers is never obvious.
When tragedy strikes, it’s like looking at a table full of broken puzzle pieces. We feel compelled to put these pieces together in order to explain an overwhelming crisis. We want to know why it’s happening and who to hold accountable. More often than not, we deceive ourselves into thinking we’ve connected the pieces perfectly. Many will also seek and find platforms to voice their opinions on the tragedy at hand. In moments of pain, media outlets are always looking to give a platform to someone who believes they have the answers.
Over the weekend, it’s not a stretch of the imagination to imagine sermons from pulpits propagating sentiments like, “Hollywood is sinful, God hates sin- therefore, Hollywood is getting what it deserves.”
We’ve also heard commentators on various news outlets blaming diversity, equity, and inclusion as a culprit behind the tragedy unfolding in the lives of many in California. They would have us believe that the fires are out of control because the Los Angeles Fire Department makes space for women, the pride community, and other racial minorities.
A well-known actor has implied there is a conspiracy behind the fires. He’s warmed up to the idea that the fires are the results of Democrats lighting them to make way for high-density housing.
In Alberta, we’ve experienced similar sentiments when we’ve had to cope and endure loss from forest fires. The difference is that these ideas come from the far left side of the political spectrum. When our residents have had to escape their homes to save their lives, some folks have felt the need to say. “Well, the province voted UCP, I guess they deserve it.”
All of these arguments are mismatched puzzle pieces glued together to build obscene and unhelpful answers for those experiencing unimaginable loss and grief. Self righteous, ill-timed and tone deaf.
This problem is not new.
It reminds me of an ancient story in the book of Job in the Bible. He’s described as a successful and good man of integrity. The word The Bible uses the word, “blameless”. The book does not say he was perfect or superhuman in any way. Simply put, he was a very good man. However, his life was utterly upended by tragedy. In a short period of time, his home is destroyed, his workers are murdered, all of Job’s children are killed. Eventually, he even loses his health. The story tells us he was so ill that those who knew him could barely recognize him
He is joined by friends who come to try and bring him comfort. At first, the story goes well. The friends simply sit with him and say nothing. I wish the story ended here, but it doesn’t. After some time, his friends take it upon themselves to tell Job why this has happened to him. They have answers!
“Stop and think! Do the innocent die?
When have the upright been destroyed?
My experience shows that those who plant trouble
and cultivate evil will harvest the same.”
In other words….Job, you must have done something to deserve this.
Another one of Job’s friends offers this reasoning.
“Does God twist justice?
Does the Almighty twist what is right?
Your children must have sinned against him,
so their punishment was well deserved.
So…this all happened because his children did something wrong.
These offerings provide little help or comfort to someone in the midts of pain. Reasoning is not a balm to assuage someone’s pain. Opinions and theories don’t piece together the complexity of life, love, anger, pain, joy, hope or sorrow. When Job’s friends first arrive on the scene, they got it right. They said nothing with their mouths, but spoke volumes by just being present with him.
The best thing we can do for someone who’s in the process of losing what’s important to them, is graciously offer them our presence and support.
You may be asking yourself, “so Jordan, why does California burn?”
The full picture on this tragedy is that there are forces that are out of our control. Sometimes, the pieces just need to sit and the puzzle needs to wait.
We’re all human and we are all fragile. Right now is not the time for sermons, theories and conspiracies. The question we should be asking when tragedy strikes is, “how can we be there for those who are hurt?”
Thanks for reading friend, may you find an opportunity to be present for someone in pain this week.