Wildfires on Both Sides of the Atlantic

More than 1,100 square miles have burned in wildfires in France and Spain this year, according to estimates by the European Union’s Forest Fire Information System. Huge fires continue to rage in both countries and hundreds of thousands have had to flee their homes. Firefighters battling the blazes will likely have their efforts complicated in the days ahead as temperatures in the region are expected to soar.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Pray for rain. It is one very practical and important way for you to stand in the gap with and for the people of France and Spain. Cooler temperatures and wet conditions would go a long way toward containing the ongoing fires and providing relief for both residents and firefighters.

The fires spreading in Europe come on the heels of a similar challenge for Canadians. While many of the related headlines on both sides of the Atlantic focus on the second-order impact (i.e., the impact of the smoke on U.S. cities and the infrastructure strain on surrounding areas in France and Spain), we as The Equipped family should prioritize our intercession on behalf of those directly impacted. We should remember and lift up those who have lost loved ones, those who have been displaced, and those impacted by the economic strains the fire has caused.

The mailbag at The Equipped this week contained a kind note reminding me of the hardship many Canadians have experienced because of the ongoing fires. I was struck by how easily my attention is fixed on second-order impacts on me when my brothers and sisters not far away are enduring much more significant first-order effects.

This week, let’s lift our eyes off ourselves and set them first and foremost on the “author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). Let us then focus our prayer and petitions on behalf of those feeling the firsthand impact of fires on both sides of the Atlantic.