It’s a catastrophe; just look at these ruins.
All that was built up has been destroyed, all that was made
has been torn down,
has been torn down,
what I made to be my fortress lies now as a pile of rubble.
Dust hangs in the air as I survey what once stood around me:
my dwelling, my safety, my own. All I
had, all I am, was put into it, and now lays at my feet – a heap of useless
pieces. Everything is exposed. The comforting shadows and hiding places are
gone.
my dwelling, my safety, my own. All I
had, all I am, was put into it, and now lays at my feet – a heap of useless
pieces. Everything is exposed. The comforting shadows and hiding places are
gone.
The air begins to swirl as a rumbling in the distance moves
closer and closer, and the mess of mortar and brick at my feet begin to
tremble. What once stood strong and
impenetrable now quakes at the approach of a man. I make out His tall, bold form amidst the
dust and debris still floating around me. With every step he takes I feel the earth quake beneath me in response
to His step.
closer and closer, and the mess of mortar and brick at my feet begin to
tremble. What once stood strong and
impenetrable now quakes at the approach of a man. I make out His tall, bold form amidst the
dust and debris still floating around me. With every step he takes I feel the earth quake beneath me in response
to His step.
Everything within in me knows that the demolition is His
fault.
fault.
“You did this!” I scream.
In a mixture of anguish and rage I demand, “Who are you?!”
Calmly He takes a few more steps towards me and softly
replies, “I am the master builder.”
replies, “I am the master builder.”
Before another word can escape my mouth, He turns to look
upon the devastation, His countenance changes and with a mighty voice He
declares, “Look, I am making everything new!”*
upon the devastation, His countenance changes and with a mighty voice He
declares, “Look, I am making everything new!”*
My mind, in a state of disbelief, struggled to comprehend
the change taking place before me. The
ruins were cleared away and the ground became soft and lush under my feet. The wreckage was cleared away and the man
stood still as if surveying the land. Where there had once been a crumbled mess, there was now a clean pile of
new stones laying at His feet. He laid a
hand on the stones and turned to look at me. “These are not like the stones you had before to build your walls,” as
if almost speaking to the stones themselves He carried on saying, “and you are
living stones that I am building into my spiritual temple.”*
the change taking place before me. The
ruins were cleared away and the ground became soft and lush under my feet. The wreckage was cleared away and the man
stood still as if surveying the land. Where there had once been a crumbled mess, there was now a clean pile of
new stones laying at His feet. He laid a
hand on the stones and turned to look at me. “These are not like the stones you had before to build your walls,” as
if almost speaking to the stones themselves He carried on saying, “and you are
living stones that I am building into my spiritual temple.”*
Utterly confused I ask, “But where did them come from?”
“They come from my heart, just as you came from my heart.”
In a greater state of puzzlement I watch as He goes to work
and the structure begins to take shape. As He moves, thoughtfully placing stone upon stone, my queries turn to wonder
and, without words I begin to grasp that I am not only watching this
reconstruction take place – I am myself being recreated. In order to be made new by Him, what I had
build needed to be completely demolished, entirely wiped out.
and the structure begins to take shape. As He moves, thoughtfully placing stone upon stone, my queries turn to wonder
and, without words I begin to grasp that I am not only watching this
reconstruction take place – I am myself being recreated. In order to be made new by Him, what I had
build needed to be completely demolished, entirely wiped out.
My emotions stirred and I felt sweet tears of freedom roll
down my cheeks. I stood motionless,
captivated, like a spectator. As if
reading my thoughts, He stopped His work and again turned to me.
down my cheeks. I stood motionless,
captivated, like a spectator. As if
reading my thoughts, He stopped His work and again turned to me.
“You are hunted down,” He says, “but never abandoned by
me. You get knocked down, but you are
not destroyed.” * With a soft smile He
goes back to His work, and I watch His movements, His gentle yet determined
hands moving the stones into place. Eventually He stands back to appraise His work, brushing His dusty hands
on His pants, yet there remains a large gap in the face of the structure. Hesitantly I ask, “Is it done?”
me. You get knocked down, but you are
not destroyed.” * With a soft smile He
goes back to His work, and I watch His movements, His gentle yet determined
hands moving the stones into place. Eventually He stands back to appraise His work, brushing His dusty hands
on His pants, yet there remains a large gap in the face of the structure. Hesitantly I ask, “Is it done?”
“No,” He
responds. “There remains one last
piece.”
responds. “There remains one last
piece.”
He walks towards the gap and stands within it, taking hold
of the walls on either side of Him, and beginning to pull with great
might. Again the earth shook, so hard I
was afraid it would open up and swallow us whole.
of the walls on either side of Him, and beginning to pull with great
might. Again the earth shook, so hard I
was afraid it would open up and swallow us whole.
“Wait!” I cry. “I
thought you were the builder? Where are
you going?”
thought you were the builder? Where are
you going?”
“I am,” He says. “I
am the master builder, and I am the cornerstone. I am.”
am the master builder, and I am the cornerstone. I am.”
He continues to pull the walls around Him, closing the gap
that once existed. As He disappears from
my sight within the deep stone walls I hear His voice through the rumbling,
“Now you will be complete in me.”
that once existed. As He disappears from
my sight within the deep stone walls I hear His voice through the rumbling,
“Now you will be complete in me.”
* Rev. 21:5, 1 Peter 2:5, 2 Cor. 4:9
