The Campfire Doesn't Care Who You Are

One of my favorite places at camp is around the campfire.

There's just something about sitting in a circle with a cup of coffee, watching the flames, and listening to people tell stories. It doesn't matter where someone came from or what they do for a living. Around the fire, those things don't seem nearly as important.

I've watched pastors sit beside first-time campers. Business owners laugh with maintenance workers. Kids carry on conversations with retirees like they've known each other for years. Nobody's trying to impress anyone. They're just people spending time together.

I wish more of life looked like that.

James reminds us not to judge people by their appearance or position (James 2:1-9). That's easy to read on Sunday morning. It's harder to live out on Monday. We naturally notice titles, success, or influence before we take time to know someone's heart.

Camp has a way of stripping all of that away.

Nobody cares what kind of vehicle you drove in. Nobody asks how big your office is. Before long, everyone smells like smoke, has dirt on their shoes, and is reaching for another s'more.

That's one of the reasons I love camp ministry.

Some of the best conversations I've ever had didn't happen in an office or across a conference table. They happened on a log beside a fire after everyone else had gone to bed. I've heard people share burdens they had carried for years. I've watched strangers become lifelong friends. I've seen people open God's Word together under a sky full of stars.

Those moments can't be scheduled.

You can plan the meals, organize the activities, and prepare the worship service, but only God can bring people together the way He does around a campfire.

Maybe that's why I keep coming back.

The campfire reminds me that every person has a story worth hearing. It reminds me to slow down, ask another question, and listen a little longer.

The world spends a lot of time dividing people into groups. Jesus spent His time bringing people together.

Maybe we should do the same.

I'll save you a seat by the fire.

See you around the campfire,

Travis