Like gold, refined by fire...

Anyone who truly knows me, knows that I am a serious and committed whistler. This has gotten me in trouble on various occasions - namely at Church, and when I worked briefly for a firm of highly superstitious Lithuanian lawyers.

When Krista and I were getting to know each other, over a Lenten season, she was curious to find out what this one particular tune was that I was often whistling. My good friend Sandra can attest that it'd been my constant, unconscious refrain for years. The tune is none other than the first verse of the song "Refiner's Fire," by my fellow British Columbian, Brian Doerksen. Some of you will be familiar with this song, and some will not; Some will love it for various reasons, and others will perhaps disdain it. I love it.

The song uses the Biblical metaphor of testing and purifying precious metals to speak of the softening and cleansing of the heart, mind, and spirit.

A man who knows much more about metal than I has written some beautiful words about words. I offer his words, while I wait for my own to return...