Become All Flame

In the ancient Egyptian deserts of the fourth century, an earnest young monk sought the counsel of one of the desert fathers. Hoping to deepen his life with God, he said,

“According to my strength I observe a modest rule of prayer and fasting, of reading and silence, and so far as I can, I strive to keep my thoughts pure. What more can I do?”

In response, the old monk stretched his hands toward heaven, and his fingers became like ten blazing torches. Then he looked at the younger man and said,

“If you wish, you can become all flame.”[1]

Whether every detail of this astonishing story can be verified or not, its wisdom certainly can.

It is possible to become all flame—singularly absorbed with the things that matter most.

That invitation is especially relevant in our age of endless distraction. We live in a world of scrolling and skimming, of summaries, snippets, hashtags, and never-ending media feeds. Our attention is constantly divided, our energies scattered among countless good things and trivial things alike.

It might be time to ask ourselves a few honest questions.

What matters most?

Who deserves my undivided attention?

And how much of my strength and affection do my deepest priorities actually receive?

Fire has long been one of Scripture’s great images for the presence of God. When Moses encountered the flame of the burning bush, his life—and human history—changed forever.

Dwight L. Moody understood this principle when he said, “Give me a man who says, ‘This one thing I do,’ and not those fifty things I dabble in.”

Of course, it is okay to read broadly or pursue a wide range of interests and experiences. Those things add texture, wisdom, and joy to our lives. But let’s never forget that at our core, we are carriers of the image and likeness of God, and we are called to a deeper unity—a life oriented around what matters most.

Becoming all flame does not mean becoming busier, louder, or more intense. It does not mean burning ourselves out in pursuit of one more accomplishment or goal.

It means allowing God’s love to create in us a more singular devotion.

It means becoming less distracted by trivia and more captivated by treasure.  

In the end, the people who leave the deepest mark on the world are rarely those who dabble in everything. They are those whose lives are consumed with one holy fire.

If you wish, you can become all flame.

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[1] Benedicta Ward, trans. and ed., The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks (New York: Penguin Books, 2002), 131.