SPIRITUAL STONES

SPIRITUAL STONES

I love you, Lord, my God.  You are my rock and my fortress.  My deliverer is my God. I take refuge in him, my rock, my shield, my saving strength. 

(Psalm 18:1-3)

Throughout Scripture God is referred to as a rock. Moses’ relationship with God involved rocks a couple of times and in Deuteronomy he says: “The Rock, his work is perfect.(Deut. 32:4)”   Isaiah says, “ The stone, which the builders rejected, has become the cornerstone.” (Is: 28:16)

What do we think of when we hear the word?  We think of a big stone, a strong man, a dependable friend or a building foundation – all those things.  Sometimes you see a huge rock on someone’s lawn and wonder if they built the house around it or did they really haul it there?  There is something awe inspiring about big rocks and in a strange paradox even though they haven’t any, they are a symbol of strength. 

Jesus was a master at metaphors to which people responded.  When first he changed Peter’s name from Simon to Cephas (rock) and said, “You are my rock” His meaning was clear to all.  “This is the person you can depend on and I know he will lead with strength and not fail.” 

During his leadership of the infant Church, St. Peter, in one of his letters, calls on the faithful with these words, 

“Come to Him, the living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house…acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter  2:4-5)

Peter is calling all believers, including us, to become the spiritual rocks on which the faith will rest.  It is a huge challenge.  It is much more comfortable to lean on others to lead the way, be brave, speak up and be the rock, but Peter, living up to Jesus’ trust in him, calls us out and challenges us to be the spiritual rocks.  We can’t just sit like that landscape rock and consider our lives justified.  It isn’t enough for us to simply build our lives on the rock that is God; we must also, by our example and words, encourage others to do the same.  In that way too, we, like Peter, are rocks.  We have to live so as to bring others to the same understanding, actively, consciously.  Faith in God is the rock and we are the foundation rocks upon which his kingdom on earth is built.  Everything else is sand.

Blessings

Carol Lemelin OPA