Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 18:1-20; PM Psalm 18:21-50; Deut. 3:18-28; Rom. 9:19-33; Matt. 24:1-14

’You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

The readings jumps out pretty boldly.  Not the kind of reading you want to start your day. As I write my reflection (the day before), there is a whole crew in my backyard.  They are ripping it completely up in order to attach an aerator to my septic system, test and lengthen the field lines, and well, make the yard less smelly if catch my drift.  Did I tell you all how last year Anne and I, and the kids, laid seven pallets of sod in the back yards ourselves.  None of that hard and beautiful work remains. 

That verse is so stark: the disciples are looking at something solid, sacred, impressive, and Jesus says it will not hold. “Not one stone” is a frightening phrase because we want our faith to mean stability, protection, things staying in place. I want to believe the hard work I do with my family will stand the test of time, or at least one calendar year! But sometimes the truth is that what has to be saved cannot be saved by preserving the surface. Sometimes repair begins with ripping it all up.

Maybe that is true in us, too. In families, churches, friendships, nations, hearts. God’s kingdom does not always arrive as a gentle improvement project. Sometimes love uncovers what we would rather keep buried. Forgiveness messes up the septic system (metaphorically of course). Care asks us to stop decorating what needs healing. Nurture means staying near while the repair looks unfinished.

So perhaps the question is not, “Can I believe everything will remain standing?” Jesus seems to say no to that. The question is, “Can I believe God is present not only in the temple, but in the rubble, the trench, the exposed roots, the waiting, the torn-up yard?”  Do we trust in God's love, and God’s way or are we too focused on the temple? And do we believe that God’s kingdom is something far greater than we can dream or imagine?

And yes: caring, forgiving, and nurturing each other and those in need may be exactly how we practice that belief. We become small signs of the kingdom when we do not abandon one another in the mess. We trust that love is not fragile. We trust that what God is building can survive the tearing down of what no longer gives life.

John+

Question for Self-Reflection: Where is the temple being destroyed in my own life?  And where do I see glimmers of God’s resurrection making something new?