If Our Building Burned Down

Fires happen. We work to keep our structure safe but all it takes is some faulty wiring, a lightning strike, or an arson’s maleficence to see it all go up in smoke.

What if the church building burned down?

I could tell you there would be things I would miss. Some keepsakes in my office. The library full of good books. There would be some things I wouldn’t mind seeing go, like the carpet or my office chair. But in the end, I’d trust the insurance would be adequate to rebuild and the things would go on.

Because the church isn’t a building. It is the people. It is the assembly. Location or structure are not as important as the people and the purpose. Building are useful tools but they do not define the church.

So maybe we should make sure to keep the church as fire-safe as the building. Put out flaming tongues, make sure to douse any smoldering grudges. Be on the lookout for those that might want to spark a controversy. Check up on those that might be on the verge of shorting out. Keep good tools for extinguishing any flareups.

The building might burn and that would be bad. But the greatest tragedy is if the people of God allow themselves to be divided and split. That would be a total loss.

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