In light of the tragedy on white island in New Zealand on the 9th December 2019 I was prompted to reflect on my own experience of ‘volcano tourism.’ Having ascended the heights of Mt. Etna in Sicily over that summer I can testify how popular a pursuit this is. We were not allowed within 300 metres of the summit, which would probably have been a physical impossibility anyhow without fireproof boots. Where we were, you only had to dig down into the volcanic ash with your hand to feel how hot it was. Only a week earlier there had been a quite spectacular eruption. Etna, the most active volcano in Europe, has frequent and spectacular eruptions, most of them harmless to the many visitors that are kept at a safe distance. But who knows? We were allowed to walk around the craters of the 2010 eruptions. Eruptions happen in many places around Etna not just at the summit crater. I wonder what the tourists on white island were told by their tour guides when the activity level of that volcano was two out of five.
We were all rightly shocked by the tragedy and loss of life on White Island, but it caused me to reflect on our lack of concern for the state of our souls when our physical life on Earth comes to an end. In the early years of Christianity Mt Etna was seen by many writers as the entrance to, or the gates of hell. Another such volcano, Mt. Hekla in Iceland, was considered in similar terms. And was in all probability the volcano featured in The Voyage of St Brendan.

St Brendan again armed himself with the sign of the Cross, and said to the brethren: ‘Put on more sail, and ply your oars more briskly, that we may get away-from this island.’ Hearing this, the savage man, above mentioned, rushed clown to the shore, bearing in his hand a tongs with a burning mass of the slag, of great size and intense heat, which he flung at once after the servants of Christ; but it did them no hurt, for they were protected by the sign of the Cross. It passed them at a furlong’s distance, and where it fell into the sea, it fumed up like a heap of burning coals, and a great smoke arose as if from a fiery furnace.

When they had passed on about a mile beyond the spot where this burning mass had fallen, all the dwellers on the island crowded down to the shore, bearing, each of them, a large mass of burning slag, which they flung, everyone in turn, after the servants of God; and then they returned to their forges, which they blew up into mighty flames, so that the whole island seemed one globe of fire, and the sea on every side boiled up and foamed, like a cauldron set on a fire and well supplied with fuel. All the day the brethren, even when they were no longer within view of the island, heard a loud wailing from the inhabitants thereof, and a noisome stench was perceptible at a great distance. Then St Brendan sought to animate the courage of the brethren, saying:‘Soldiers of Christ, be strong in faith unfeigned and in the armour of the Spirit, for we are now in the confines of hell; watch, therefore, and act manfully.’

Often in Christian circles it is unfashionable these days, to talk of the ‘gates of hell’ and punishment as if they are irrelevant and of a different age when Christians scared people into obedience…as if this can ever be truly done. We live in an age (a New Age) when only the positive can be proclaimed. We therefore end up losing balance. At a recent homily at Mass the priest was reflecting on Acts 10:38, ‘God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.’ He gave a fine sermon on doing good and fine examples of what this means, but completely failed to say anything about healing those oppressed by the devil. This is not untypical of preaching today and I feel strongly that our pastors are selling us short. No more do we hear about the last four things…death, judgement, heaven & hell. But folks, part of our Christian journey is preparing for these last four things. Lest we forget! Maybe we need a few more volcano eruptions to remind us.