Today, August 12, is the height of the Perseid meteor shower. Christians in some parts of the world call the Perseids the “tears of Saint Lawrence,” after the 3rd-century Deacon and martyr whose feast day falls around the meteor shower each year. The story goes that Lawrence gave the literal treasures of the Church to the poor as alms, and when treasure was demanded of him by the Roman prefect, Lawrence showed him the people themselves, who he knew to be God’s treasures. The prefect didn’t think that was funny, so he had Lawrence killed. A story arose (possibly due to a Latin spelling error) that he was not beheaded as other persecuted Christians were at the time, but instead roasted on a gridiron. In the midst of being grilled to death he is said to have joked “I’m done on this side, turn me over.” Lawrence is now the patron saint of both chefs and comedians.
This very hot week with both its astrological phenomena and all of our typical daily encounters, may we look up and see the beauty in God’s creation; may we look out and see God’s treasures in his people. And may we look in and find ourselves burning with enough passion for God to joke even when we’re being roasted.