The discovery of fire is generally thought to date back to between 300,000 and 400,000 years ago, though archaeologists have unearthed possible traces of campfires that flickered 1 million years ago.
Whatever the discovery date fire has transformed human existence and has continued at the heart of that experience through time. We might consider all the wisdom extending dialogues shared by the elders around the campfire.
Over more recent decades its transformative effects can be seen in the technological leaps we have made. Fire powered the industrial revolution. No fire, no internal combustion engine, or the capability to harness nuclear power. The human ability to make and control fire has advanced our biology – providing heat and the ability to cook food supporting a superior diet.
With the exception of language, Charles Darwin regarded fire as the greatest discovery made by humanity.
Yet as we face our world now and the challenges ahead, we need fire of a different order. We must look to cultivate the fire within ourselves. Our heart is the source of that power, of our passion, of our unique flame, of our love for our fellow humans and of the sparks of creativity we need for the next great transformation.
We must turn up our flame and start to connect with our passion for creating a better world for all…sparking us to different ways of being and right action that supports the greater good.
As the flame of our heart grows brighter and we channel our passion purposefully, with intention, on the work that’s needed we will attract others to the cause. And, from one small, strong flame we will discover a giant, transformative fire is growing and creating the new and better.