“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”
As any good builder can tell you, when constructing a building of any size, one of the first and most crucial elements is to establish a solid foundation. Without this, any further construction, no matter how precise or well-built, will be compromised.
This is even more true in earthquake prone areas such as Japan, which experiences over 1,800 tremors every year in addition to periodic, major earthquakes. As but one example, the 6.9 earthquake of 1995 in Kobe, Japan destroyed over 100,000 homes in 20 seconds, yet none of the city’s five-story wooden pagodas were harmed, despite being up to 900 years old.
This is all the more incredible in that these tall, narrow buildings were constructed using no metal, or even glues, but were instead connected with a technique wherein all pieces are cut and shaped to interlock with one another. This simultaneously holds pieces fast as integral units and allows them to move independently without shearing.
But the single most important feature is the shinbashira. This is a long and heavy central beam that is either hung from the top level or attached at the first level but in both cases is otherwise free from contact with the rest of the building. Its purpose is to act as a “tuned mass dampener,” which essentially absorbs and counteracts the destructive force of the earthquake. Consequently, in over 1,400 years, virtually none of these over-100 foot tall buildings found throughout Japan have ever been destroyed by earthquakes.
In the Bible, the physical human body is referred to as a tabernacle, or tent...a temporary dwelling in which we live. As we know all too well, and as remarkable and resilient as the body is, we are nonetheless susceptible to a plethora of injurious effects: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Jesus tells us: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Moreover, He assures us: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.”
Far beyond absorbing and counteracting the destructive power of sin in the world and in ourselves, He has taken the burden and the guilt of our sin upon Himself...and conquered it, along with death and the devil himself. He is our Saviour, our Redeemer and our Shepherd. He is our Rock.
Reader Comments(0)