On my last trip to Israel, I did a naughty thing. I “borrowed” something, (Not sure why I

am confessing in such a public way!)

Well, what I actually did was remove something. It was a very small nugget from the

retaining wall around the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. I took it from just north of the very

famous Jewish Wailing Wall.

The Israelis have been excavating that area for years. And they have uncovered some

amazing stones. The largest of which is called the Great Stone being 46 feet long,

13 feet high, 15 feet thick and weighing over 500 tons. Each stone in that wall seems to

have been put together with real precision.

The scripture tells us that for Solomon’s temple they used only blocks that were

dressed at the quarry. All the cutting, chiseling, sanding and polishing was done out in

the hills surrounding Jerusalem. No iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was

being put together.

Those massive stones were strategically put into place according to an elaborate

design. They fit together snuggly, one on top of another, side by side, stone slab by

stone slab, all according to a master plan. No last-minute shaving or cutting. Just a quiet

placement of stones into their assigned spot.

Considering those stones (and my sin of borrowing a tiny chunk of limestone), I couldn’t

help but think of Peter’s announcement in I Peter 2 where he calls believers “living

stones.” He says that we are being built into a spiritual house.

God’s house, His body, His community of followers is made up of those “living stones.”

Each one is different. Each one has different gifts. Each one comes from different

cultures and backgrounds. Each one looks and sounds unique. Each one stands tall in

the sea of humanity.

And yet, God’s plan places us in just the right spot on the wall of His spiritual house.

Some blocks are longer, some are short. Some are squares, others are rectangles.

Some have a rough exterior, others are smooth. But all are useful and all fit perfectly

into His plan for building His church.

You and I are important. We are quite literally LIVING STONES. So, this week, let’s

cherish our roles.

(And, please just ignore my borrowing of the chip. It reminds me of my place on the

wall!)