Gathering Stones
LIGHTBEARER: GATHERING STONES
WORD FOR TODAY: INUKSHUK
“…a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them” (Ecclesiastes 3:5 NIV).
Beachwalks on a rocky shore are a good place for gathering some flat stones and building an inukshuk. That’s a word from the indigenous Inuit peoples of the Arctic Circle for cairn or a collection of stones.
Picking up stones as we stroll the Bahama beaches, we have challenged our family visitors to create the tallest and most innovative structure. The fun activity took me to a little research on the massive inukshuks found in Alaska and other northernmost areas. The tallest one is said to be 37 feet high!
Inukshuks were built as navigational aids for mariners and on land as well to mark hunting grounds, hazards, or special spiritual spots. They stand as symbols of the cultural heritage of the inhabitants of the top of the earth, representing guidance, community, and safe passage.
Biblically, as in the seasons catalogued in Chapter Three of Ecclesiastes, there is a time for building or restoring, for preparation and growth. The stones themselves represent strength, resilience, and solidarity.
As is often the case, the closer we get to creation, the clearer a message or lesson is from the Creator. God provides the stones; we have to build the beacon to show the path of guidance or warning for others. Building together fosters relationships, peace, and expansion. We unite in serving others.
What does your inukshuk look like? It might not be of gray sandstone but rather stones of ministry and service to the Body of Christ. Perhaps taking your disabled neighbor to the grocery store or fixing a meal for a housebound friend or ladling hot broth at a soup kitchen or even praying for others’ needs.
Now is a time to gather. A time to build. A time to mark a safe passage for others. A time to be a LightBearer!