"Seriously in life, you don't know which way the wind's going to blow and it was truly the wind and it blew fast and sudden".
This comment caught my attention earlier today. They are the words of one of the evacuees of our states deadliest fire in history, describing the horrible turn of events that led to the death of 19 of our bravest.
We often take for granted the sacrifice of our first responders, overlooking the human faces of the brave men and women behind the shiny red trucks...it is a tragedy like this, that will forever remind us of the constant peril our firefighters selflessly face protecting us. We can never repay these nineteen men and their families for their service and the ultimate sacrifice they made on our behalf.
Their sacrifice and example will not go to waste. Lessons will be learned -- and applied -- allowing for better prevention and safety measures going forward, there will also be calls to find a better way to mind our forests and precious resources.
But there's a deeper lesson here, and it's a message that is ripe for sharing as we gear up for the onset of the High Holidays.
This tragedy serves as a metaphor for the vicissitudes of our own lives. We really do not know which way the wind's blowing...yet we can do something about it, for today, we are all firefighters. There's a conflagration that is burning out of control out there. It is the raging fire of spiritual apathy, and Jewish assimilation. Our mandate this season, is to bravely stand up and be counted now, and, like the brave firefighters fighting the Yarnell fire, to keep at it selflessly and constantly until the fire is quenched.
May the families of our most brave find comfort and strength in this most trying trial.