I could walk through my town a thousand times a day and find something beautiful to photograph—people, architecture, the way the sun’s setting paints a golden glow on old buildings, waterfalls and reflections, flowers in bloom and trees clothed in fall foliage or standing bravely naked against the harsh winter. I look for objects that paint a pleasant, beautiful or hopeful mood or that prompt some sort of good vibes within when you look at them—never too much positivity in a world like ours.
A photograph, well, like this one: Just a bunch of cool-looking rocks holding up a corner of the old Granite Block building at the corner of Main and Grove in my hometown. Colorful, artsy foundation architecture for sure, but I remember when I took that photo a couple of years ago, it was intentional—to help practically illustrate a teaching on something mysterious that Jesus said about Himself many years ago:
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the very stone—the cornerstone—that holds together the entire foundation.” (Luke 20:17).
That's a great image to hold on to when you wake up every morning to a world gone mad, where all around seems shaken and unstable. The Lord who made heaven and earth and all that is in them is still the firm foundation of it all. Whew! But the news gets even better, and frankly a bit unbelievable, for anyone who has made Jesus the cornerstone for life—news that promises a life full of meaning and adventure and fantastic purpose, even amidst all the trials and stresses that everyone has to deal with on planet Earth. And Peter, that most imperfect and relatable of all disciples, sends the invitation that has no expiration date: “Come to Him, the risen Lord, as to a living Stone which men rejected and threw away, but which is choice and precious in the sight of God. You believers, like living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house for a holy and dedicated priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-5)
While that always sounds like “Amen!” music to the ears and you know in your brain that it is so because God said it is so, truth be told, there can be days when I wake up on the wrong side of bed and wonder how on earth I can fit in to that kind of holy structure — to reflect the love of God to people and situations and conversations throughout the day. "Maybe not today. Too may faults and blemishes and inconsistencies." On such days, Peter's invitation is still a beautiful picture, but something seems missing...
... My newspaper publisher, when I first broke into journalism back in the day, never let us settle for the obvious. He’d often say something like, “Dig! Get more details. Tell a story.” And once that gets in your blood, there’s no turning back. I had to admit that “cornerstone” was a word I could easily throw around and nod at, but didn’t know much about. And how do the other stones fit in? So, I dug a bit. From an architectural definition:
“The cornerstone, also known as the foundation stone or setting stone, is the first stone to be laid in the building of a foundation. All other stones will be placed with reference to this stone… The cornerstone should be selected based on its quality and the reputation of the builder….Cornerstones can also be used as an anchor for heavy loads [Amen!], such as when placing a foundation under a house or garage. … It is laid initially to verify that the structure is square and sturdy. It is the rock that bears the weight of the entire construction…
… Each stone has been selected with care; some are more notable than others, but they all serve one purpose: they build up the structure so that it is solid and reliable.”
Every picture tells a story beyond the obvious, and there it is!
Unlike many other photos that can be liked and quickly forgotten, I will often return to this one and gaze intently as one might do at a painting in an art gallery. I return to praise God in awe and wonder and joy as I remind myself that no matter what kind of day I'm waking up to or think I’m having, He always has and always will delight in choosing to build His Kingdom every single day with and through a bunch of imperfect, oddly-shaped stones who simply depend on the Cornerstone for unshakeable strength.
No excuses. Time to get on with it...
No comments:
Post a Comment