Smoke

There exists a phenomenon that can both conceal and reveal, simultaneously even.  While a pedantic example of this can be found in the art of prestidigitation, that is, sleight of hand or the industry of smoke and mirrors, in which a magician may in one moment use smoke to reveal a rose from a wand and in the next use smoke to conceal an assistant dropping through a trap door…I mean, disappearing.  Smoke may be revealing, that while one has a prideful disdain for those who suck tar and other carcinogens into their lungs through cigarettes and obviously is more enlightened and vogue – even backed by medical research – because their variety of smoke originates from the fuel of tetrahydrocannabinol and creates temporary euphoria, that such an individual is just as much a slave to a rolled 2-inch cylinder as their supposed archaic counterpart.  Or, indeed, smoke may be concealing that a vapor, e-cigarette user is just as dependent on nicotine as the conventional user or at least as dependent on the silent applause of seeming hipster and culturally savvy.  While not referring to smoking necessarily, John Piper’s indictment of tattoos applies to it as well, when he says in his book ’50 Reason’, “Thirty years from now today’s tattoos will not be marks of freedom, but indelible reminders of conformity.”  No, I do not believe the portion of the Leviticus’ law that dealt with the separation of the theocracy of Israel as a distinct nation is still active, but the principle still stands.  Smoke can also conceal a fire, while at the same time reveal that there is one present somewhere nearby; after all “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”  Smoke can reveal a message, as in smoke signals, but conceal it from those who do not understand the signals.  Oddly and interestingly enough, smoke has even been used by the divine to both conceal and reveal His presence:  “So the LORD's column stayed over the tent during the day, and there was fire in the smoke at night. In this way all the Israelites could see the column throughout their travels.” (Ex. 40:38)