Every now and then, nature surprises us with things that don’t quite fit the ordinary. They are unusual, unexpected and almost out of place as though from another world. A sulfatara is one of them.
A sulfatara is a volcanic vent where hot steam and sulfurous gases rise from the ground. At first glance, the area around the sulfatara may look like any ordinary green mountain, yet the hidden volcanic activity gives it a quiet, unusual character. The presence of life alongside these hidden, powerful forces shows that beauty can exist even in places shaped by destructive energy.
Someone who once saw a sulfatara firsthand wrote these words:
"Sulfatara, you’ve taught me how there can still be beauty in death. Worth it jud gi-adto tkaw! You’ve displayed an otherworldly highlight."
The word “sulfatara” comes from Italian “solfo” which means sulfur. In the Bible, sulfur is usually mentioned under its old name “brimstone.” In the Bible, brimstone is consistently a picture of God’s fierce wrath against sin.
The cross of Calvary was a sulfatara of a different kind. It was an otherworldly highlight. It was where the hot steam of God's wrath arose and His mercy descended. It was a place where beauty came out of death. For at the cross of Christ, death itself was transformed. Out of His death came salvation for the lost, justification for the guilty, forgiveness for the sinful, sanctification for the unholy, and even glorification for the redeemed.
Come to the cross. It is worth the trek. Find life and beauty in the death of Christ. If you do, I assure you that one day, for all eternity, you will look back and say it was "worth it jud gi-adto tikaw."
