The Theology of Building

My father is a carpenter. I never really understood what drew him to this profession, because it's physically demanding work, you are at the mercy of the weather, you work long, long hours, and whether rain, sleet or snow you are required to be on the job. Constructing a house is complicated stuff. You've got this mass of dirt to start with and after many hours, days, months and sometimes years the labor of your hands is rewarded with the beauty of a finished product: a home. When I asked my father why he enjoys building he said, "I love seeing what I start with and by the end of the day surveying all that's been accomplished." I get the sense that investing his time, sweat and tears into crafting a home is a particularly rewarding accomplishment. Which makes me think that in our culture as postmodern evangelicals we've lost the value and art in the craft of building. We can't get enough of speed. We build technolgy to be more efficient which means faster. Our fast food restaurants are competing to come up with a product that is ultra-processed to increase the speed of service for their very important-busy customers. In some parts of the country you can get your groceries faster through the new service of drive-thru grocery stores. We've replaced the value of investing with the mentality of 'get the job done' with little quality or care. And since all of us are on this high speed hi-way none of us notice what we are missing.

As I wrestle with investing my life into other people's lives. I realize how impatient I can become in the process. And as I read Exodus and look at the old testament in its entirety I realize that God invested so much time in redeeming His people. As we read about the creative energy and time that has gone into building the temple... it's hard not to ask why so much detail, why so much time when ultimately our sin was redeemed through the temple/body and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I realize that I am not always a person comitted to long-suffering with people... especially when my time is limited, my resources are depleted, etc. What does it mean to have the patience of God and the heart to take the long road with people. Because let's face it it takes time and history and heart and soul to build relationships with people. It takes experience to celebrate the new life transitions like pregnancies, weddings, engagements and to mourn the loss of parents, children and dreams. It is the only kind of experience that comes with patiently traveling the road of our dignity and depravity. I need to constantly be asking myself how I can be a builder, an invester of the lives that God has entrusted in my hands.