Not Consumed By The Fire: By Diran Avagyan

Do you remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the book of Daniel—three young men who were ordered by the king to bow before his golden image? When they refused, they were thrown into a furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. The fire was meant to destroy them completely, to annihilate them. Yet when the king looked inside, he saw them alive, standing in the flames (Daniel 3:1–30). The fire did not consume them.

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is more than ancient history—it is a picture for us today, as we mourn the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk that has left our nation in shock. The air feels heavy with grief, frustration, and anger. Evil is still trying to consume us in the fires of hostility, convincing us that the flames of hatred and violence are stronger than our faith.

Lao Tzu, in the Tao Te Ching, teaches that whenever anything is driven to an extreme, it produces its opposite—polarities. The same happens with heart and mind. When the heart rules only by feelings, it loses grounding in truth. When the mind rules only by reason, it grows harsh and unfeeling. Instead of working together, they turn against each other. The disconnect between heart and mind creates a fracture where fear enters and dwells—aggressive, destructive, and violent.

This is why today we feel as though we are in a furnace heated seven times hotter. We have lost the harmony God designed in us, substituting it with suspicion, hatred, and rivalry. However, as followers of Christ, we must remember that the competition is not about who can hate more, but about who can love more. Not who can wound deeper, but who can show greater compassion.

And just as those three young men stood unharmed in the flames, we too are promised that we will not be consumed. We will hurt. We will cry. We will mourn. But in Christ, the fire will not destroy us.

During these challenging times, let us beseech the Lord to heal our hearts, restore in us the harmony of the Spirit, and teach us not to compete in hatred, but to thrive in love and compassion. May He walk with us through the fire and lead us into truth rooted in love, where we may stand unshaken, unconsumed, and whole in Him. Amen.