Before I went to seminary I worked for 18 months for my father-in-law’s construction company. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot about what makes a construction project successful, and what can cause it to fail. And so, now living in a brand new neighborhood, I like to put my little knowledge to the test as I watch new homes being put together. My favorite guys to watch aren’t the bricklayers or the framers, but the guys who stake-out the house. This is the most important job in the construction process because these guys and gals define the shape of the house; and most importantly measure over and over again to be sure everything is square. Their stakes and string are the guides by which the foundation crew digs and pours, and from there on out a house that is not truly square will become more and more difficult to build; leaving windows crooked, trim bowed, and, as is the case in our bathroom, a tile floor that is way out of line. Making sure the house is square is the most important job in the project.
Construction has changed a lot since the first century, but one thing remains true; if the layout is not square, the project is destined to fail. That is the image that Peter works with in his letter. We as living stones each have a place within the Father’s house. We are called to lay ourselves one upon the other to build the kingdom of God here on earth and our guide to square and true is none other than the rejected cornerstone, Jesus Christ. Our job as Christians is to line ourselves up with him. The example of his life defines for us what it means to live out the will of God. To align ourselves with him allows us to bring into this world the way of God; one of justice, freedom, hope, and love.
Sometimes, however, it isn’t easy to keep ourselves aligned. Often our first attempt at laying down square and true leaves us a little out of line. We don’t trust the cornerstone. We don’t trust the other living stones around us, and want to do it ourselves. This inevitably leads to a version of the Father’s house that isn’t quite true. Windows are crooked. The trim work doesn’t fit quite right. Others who have lined up with us lie down a more and more out of square wall. And, in the end, the building is brought to ruin. To trust our own ability to see the will of God is to take the cornerstone – our guide in a life of building the Father’s house – to take his job of keeping it all square and true away from him. And, in the end, the wall falls down.
But that is not the end of the story because the cornerstone remains, and we are called again and again to align ourselves to him. It may take many attempts. There will be mini-successes and many failures along the way, but the cornerstone will not waiver. We will get momentary glimpses of the Father’s house as the everlasting construction project goes on, until that day when the Father determines it is finished.
We continue the work because we are called to be a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and God’s own people. We have no choice but to continue to work with began in Christ Jesus; that of bringing Creation that is crooked and out of sorts back in line with the rejected cornerstone; that of setting the world right-side-up by following Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. We do this by following his example of compassion, of love, and of mercy. We do this by reaching out to the poor, proclaiming freedom to those enslaved by sin, by loving our neighbor as our self, by protecting Creation, and by living as servants of the most high God. We are sustained in this journey by coming to this table where the bread and wine are the spiritual milk we crave that allow us to taste that indeed the Lord is good. So, living stones, as we go forth from this place look to the cornerstone as an example and then lay yourself down square and true for the glory of God the Father. Amen.
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