On a dry spring morning...
Illustration
On a dry spring morning, a group of men and women gathered near a grassy field outside of Chicago. When the signal was given, torch-bearing runners took off across the brush, leaving a line of flame behind them. Soon a wall of orange heat swept across the field, leaving only a blackened earthen surface in its wake. Illinois has discovered that fire's natural destructiveness holds the promise for re-birth for the state's grasslands. When the first pioneers came through Illinois about 150 years ago, the prairies were rich with countless types of natural vegetation. But in recent decades those prairie wildflowers and plants have almost reached the point of extinction because of the spread of weeds. And so the burning wipes out all the life above the ground, destroying wildflowers and weeds alike. But the wildflowers have much deeper roots, some reaching as far down as 15 feet. So the wildflowers are able to sprout new life and flourish in those areas where fire brought apparent death. Jeremiah looks forward to that same kind of hope. He looks for ultimate vindication in the face of present adversity. -- Bowen
