David Campbell

Situation: Dumpster Fire or Refiner’s Fire?

BY DAVID CAMPBELL

At our church, Due West United Methodist, we have been in a sermon series called “Dumpster Fire.” As we advertised it in advance, it drew a lot of attention. My favorite comment since we started came from a lady on a Sunday morning. The night before, the Braves had blown a ninth-inning lead. Her comment? “I can’t believe nobody mentioned the Braves game as a dumpster fire!”

In recent years, the phrase has become part of our vocabulary. It’s even in the dictionary: “An utterly calamitous or mismanaged situation or occurrence.” I think it resonated because everyone has witnessed something for which the term would apply, such as the collapse of a sports team. And most of us have found ourselves in the middle of one. Maybe it’s comical, or maybe it’s tragic, but in our family, our work, our schools, our friend group, maybe even our church, we have found ourselves in “an utterly calamitous or mismanaged situation or occurrence.”

Although the phrase might be new, the feelings it evokes are as old as humanity. The Bible is filled with stories of people who found themselves in a dumpster fire. It is part of what makes Scripture so relatable to us. The story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers hits home with anyone who has been betrayed by a family member. The story of David on the run from King Saul hits home with anyone who has worked for a jealous and insecure boss. The story of Simon Peter’s denial of Jesus hits home with anyone who has ever done something of which they were ashamed. Their dumpster fires are ours.

But we have seen in this series that what might feel like a dumpster fire actually is something more. Often, it’s a refiner’s fire. Do you know the difference? In a dumpster fire, everything is burned up. But in a refiner’s fire, things you don’t need are burned away, so only what is best remains. It’s how gold is refined. The impure is burned away so only the pure gold is left.

Think back to your own dumpster fires. Can you not see, at least in hindsight, how God used that experience to help you grow? God might not have started the fire, but he certainly could use it. Just something to remember the next time the temperature starts to rise!

Dr. David Campbell is the senior pastor at Due West United Methodist Church. He is a husband, father, grandfather and former Army chaplain. He can be reached at dcampbell@duewest.org. Church website duewest.org.