One of the things that most annoyed my daughters during their formative years was the frequency with which I asked them the simple, one-word question of “why.” It didn’t matter if I liked what they had been saying or agreed with them completely. What was important to me was to know that they had thought through their position and had a firm grasp of the key issues that were involved. Essentially, I wanted to see if they had first established a foundation for their thinking.
The problem with foundations is that they are difficult and time-consuming to construct. Further, foundations are frequently unseen by most people. In an era where we are looking for instant gratification and the most bang for our buck, it is easy to just focus on the things that are going to be seen. This is certainly the case for housing, although it is typically in third-world nations where people don’t invest in foundations (mainly because they can’t afford to). But it is also the case for arguments and comments that are being made all over our nation today.
We have so many mechanisms today for expressing our opinions, and with the press of a few buttons, our thoughts can be transmitted around the globe, to a wide range of people. Most of us also have traditional spheres of influence that are closer to us geographically. If we want to be seen and heard or, to use the language of today, become an influencer, we have the means to do it at our fingertips. This extends beyond empty commentary to academic pontification. Yet in each case, it still is important to understand the foundation underlying the comments, because at some point, some storm or controversy may arise that shakes everything to the core, revealing that which was wisely constructed and that which was built on the cheap.
Jesus made this point using a parable, declaring in Matthew 7:24-27:
24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
We live in one of the greatest places on earth, but if we as a community or society move too far from the words of Jesus, we will undermine the foundation and weaken all that is built upon it. It isn’t a question of if a storm will come that tests us, but rather when, and how severe. Therefore, perhaps it would be a good time for all of us to assess what lies beneath the surface, inspecting our own foundations to see if they are deep enough and strong enough, and built with the right material, to hold us together when the storms come.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron