Listen to The Stoke
Read the Stoke
The stoke is back. And in my mind, we need it now more than ever.
2020 jolted us with a bit of despair and a dash of “Get me out of here,” or “Come, Jesus, come.” Seems like everyone believes their view is the best and if your view doesn’t jive, then you’re outta here.
But we all know that reasonable people don’t think like that.
We all know that respecting one another and our backgrounds and experiences is what it’s all about. These are universals. And we need it all to thrive—to survive, even.
We gather here in this little digital space because we believe in the stoke. We believe there’s a better way forward than what’s offered by talking heads and social media.
But just so we’re all on the same page, I thought I’d give a little stoke review.
“Eh, but Tim,” you say, “we know where the stoke comes from. And besides, shouldn’t you be discussing more relevant topics; you know, the kind that people like to gossip about and all of that. Why do you always veer away from the “in crowd” stuff into your little world of adventure and beauty?”
“Ah yes,” I reply. “So you do know all about the stoke. I am thankful for that. But I want to review, because who doesn’t need a bit of inspiration from the past. Furthermore, I believe the best way to stay relevant is to be about one’s own business; to be building and creating and imagining and marvelling. Besides, who wants to rehash trendy topics until your brain explodes?”
Well, here’s a quick review.
In the 1950s “the stoke” became a popular term for surf riders. For them, being on the waves was enough—you were “stoked” to be out there, feeling the ocean, drinking in the experience. To be stoked meant to be “overjoyed, ecstatic, thrilled, or delighted.”
We also find the word “stoke” attached to town or village names in the United Kingdom. It comes from the Old English term stoc, which means a settlement or farm. So, as a noun, stoke can mean a place.
But the word “stoke” also has roots in the Germanic language, from which we get the word “stick.” And the German was influenced by the Latin instigare which means, “to spur on.”
Turns out the German and Latin “stick” and “spur on” root their meanings in the idea of “adding fuel to the fire,” or using a stick to push the coals of a fire together—to get the flames raging, and burning brighter.
I love that we find this idea of “stoke” in the New Testament.
The writer of Hebrews urges his readers to stoke the fires of their faith.
He writes: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” But it’s not just about offering fellow Christians a word of encouragement.
The stoke comes from gathering together. Picture human beings as coals of a fire and also the sticks that poke those coals to get them burning brighter.
So, it’s when we gather, that we should be caught up in the act of stoking one another on toward love and good deeds.
But how do we do this in a COVID reality? That’s the question, and a difficult one.
Well, joining together here in this space is one way.
But you can also stoke those people around you, in your own sphere of influence.
Have you thought about how you’re doing that lately? Inspiring others with the way that you live out your faith?
Are you a source of stoke or despair?
Without the stoke in our lives, we stay in the status quo. We don’t challenge ourselves to elevate, we don’t seek whatever it is that lies out there beyond the horizon, we don’t look to the stars and imagine our place among them.
Here’s a quick hack for being the stoke for someone who needs it:
Remember that you carry eternity in your heart.
The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that all humans carry eternity in their hearts. But the tension comes from our inability to grasp it fully.
But, that does not mean we don’t reach for it, pray it in our lives, or do our utmost to mine the wonders of nature and Scripture for clues that will help us grasp how wide and how deep God’s love is for us.
Cosmologists tell us that there are at least 10 dimensions in our current reality. It’s mind-bending to think about God not only caring for us within the confines the of our trans-dimensional reality, but that somewhere beyond the realms of the cosmos he’s there, preparing something for us.
What does it mean to carry eternity in your heart? It means you carry the hope of glory within you. And hope does not disappoint.
The person who hopes rests her thoughts not on the things in this realm, but in God’s eternity. And the mere contemplation of such things can and does open our spirits up to new possibilities.
It’s the idea that if you just focus on the worst thing you’ve ever done, you’ll not move beyond that mistake.
But if you constantly flood your mind with an aim or goal or some big dream that pushes you beyond what you thought you could achieve, you discover how the mere thinking of that good goal can radically change your life.
That’s what it is to carry eternity in your heart. That’s what it is to be the shining bit of hope for your neighbour.
That’s how we stoke one another on toward love and good deeds.
Stay stoked my friends!
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