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Father Constantine of Marin once remarked that a soul is what gives life. He said the Greek Orthodox Church believe all living things to have souls.

Modern science teaches us that all life on Earth originated from on single cell organism.

When a flame is passed from one candle to another the flame that is passed is never diminished.

When we put these concepts together we see that life and fire are much the same. Life is passed from the parents to the child with diminishing the life of the giver, much like fire.

If we were to follow these teachings to the inevitable conclusion we will find that all life on this planet is of the same fire. Perhaps life is an evolutionary set. Perhaps the idea of communing with nature isn’t so far off. Could the Hindu ideal of respecting all life and finding relativity in it isn’t that far off either? Maybe our bodies are not vessels but rather fuel for the life that burns within us. Could this be why we feel so connected to fire on so many different levels? Fire is the core to more than just religious beliefs. One can only stand in awe when looking at the eternal flame at Kennedy’s grave.

In the Orthodox Church at Easter time we have a tradition in which all the lights are turned off. A single flame is then passed to a several candles. The candles are then walked down the aile and passed to the worshipers. The flames is then passed from one to another until everyone’s candle is a blazed. In a matter of minutes all the candles are burning all from one single flame that has existed within the church since the church was first construction. This same flame than was passed to one another, than illuminated the church had inspired the same glow year after year. The flame is as strong as the day it was ignited. The same flame that brought unity to to those of us inside the church, that brought unity to the past could consume the world if given the proper chance.

The fire that burns within the candles of the church at Easter time could be used to do so much good and could do so much harm. In all my days I could not find a better example for all the life that surrounds us.