The metaphor of a house is on my mind lately. A house is a place where people live. It is meant to provide shelter and safety for those who live in it. A house is a combination of systems that work or do not work well. It is often a place that sometimes needs to get remodeled as the needs of the dwellers change, or adapted if the systems aren’t working.
Many of us have lived through periods of remodeling and found those times trying at best. First world problems, perhaps, but still the remodeling process is full of inconveniences until you get to something that works better for everyone.
It feels like so many of the “houses” of our world are in need of remodeling right now: between the pandemic and our worldwide inattention to prevent them; the failure of our systems to prevent racism and protect people both nationally and internationally; the worrisome drumbeat of a changing climate that will require a worldwide effort; and the basic conditions of democracies for raising up the dignity of the people of the world. We are at an inflection point in human history that is requiring systemic remodeling if our “house” is to stand.
And here we have some guidance in the psalms that will help us restore this house. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” When we bring the Lord into this rebuilding process we are not anxious, but build upon values that we hold to be deeply true. We should never rebuild or build out of fear, but out of priorities we share with God otherwise we simply “eat the bread of anxious toil” (127:2).
The “Lord,” throughout the psalms, represents God’s claim of cherished dignity upon all the people, especially the overlooked and the poor. “He raises the poor from the dust...to make them sit with princes” (Psalm 113:7), “The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed” (Psalm 103:6).
When the “Lord” builds and rebuilds the house, the “house” is better suited for all people to dwell and thrive, it is the meaning of peace, shalom, salaam. “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). We are all kindred of one planet, we are all related to each other, and we all need each other.
At some point in the psalms we see a turning point, where God is no longer just the God of Israel, but the Lord of the whole earth (Psalm 96). At critical turning points in the gospels and the early Christian community, Jesus and his followers become clear that their mission isn’t just for the lost house of Israel, but to everyone, Gentiles and Jews alike. (Acts 10:15)
When the Lord rebuilds the house, the house is big enough for everyone to thrive. (John 14:2) The house provides shelter and safety for all. Our need for remodeling our house that the Lord “builds” is paramount, one with better systems that protect the people who live in it, for the next generation. I pray that we seek the Lord’s guidance in this time of remodeling the “house” we are living in, (Isa. 55:6) and in so doing, come to a new place of thanksgiving in gratitude for what the Lord has done for us all. (Psalm 126:1)
In Christ,
Jon+
