Dave Foulk Internet Flyer

Several churches have been set fire and destroyed in Alabama. Let me re-work that sentence. Several church houses have been set fire and destroyed in Alabama. Whoever does this kind of thing does not destroy the church, because the church is the body of people who gather under that roof.

Rather, someone has burned the extra money saved up at the end of the week; maybe from selling a few extra dozen eggs. I am sure dozens of cake-walks and bake sales went up in smoke when those buildings burned, along with all of the love and care put into that fine southern food.

I can smell the sweat equity the men of those churches spent to build those churches, to maintain them, keep decent roofs on them when their own houses might have been leaking. The gallons of paint spread on Saturdays so the pastor could comment on Sunday about how nice the place looked.

Memories cannot be burned, but landmarks can go away in a pyre and a plume of smoke; places where weddings were held, final rites were said over the dead, and countless deep, deep decisions made over how a person should handle some personal business.

There is a great groaning when a church burns.

Firefighters hate to lose the battle and sometimes have to be nearly dragged out of the places where they may even worship themselves. Church fires can be dangerous because of large open spaces that draw air, that dangerous third part of the fuel,heat triad that takes down buildings.

It's hard to watch church members watch their church burn.

It's even harder to think of who would do such a thing.

That long-time symbol of freedom, love, peace, redemption and respect for our fellow man must be a powerful threat to some people. Or some thing.