Building Strong Churches with Weak Bricks

In Mexico one year, my friend, Phil, and I were cutting cement blocks for the church we were helping to build. It was hot. We ached all over from lugging heavy bricks and buckets and tools. We were absolutely filthy from the cement "sawdust" that swirled around us and stuck to our sweaty clothes and bodies, making us look a bit like living statues. Ahh, good times.

Anyway, most bricks cut just fine. But, there were some that, before we even cut them, we could tell that they were apt to just crumble. In fact, there were some we would pick up with one hand, and the brick would fall apart under its own weight.

But, we used every brick. Each was a valuable commodity, and there was no room for waste on the job site. The ones we could tell were weak we cut gently and mortared into the walls along with the stronger bricks. Even, the bricks that fell apart were still useful, either by using the broken pieces as filler or using the larger chunks for odd sections of walls (around pipes, doorways, windows, etc.).

At one point, I asked Phil, "So, can you preach a lesson on 'Building Strong Churches with Weak Bricks'?"

I could tell it got his mental wheels turning. I never heard the sermon, if he did it. I assume it would have been along the lines of the bricks representing Christians, and God is the mortar that gives us stability, purpose, strength, community, form, etc. Even though some bricks are weak, they find their strength and purpose when they are mortared into a wall of other bricks, and the whole being stronger than the weakest brick (as opposed to the "weakest link" comparison), etc. The symbolism is pretty clear, and could probably be expanded quite a bit.

I know I'm a weak brick. So, it's reassuring that, as a weak brick, that I have a purpose that can be realized when I am integrated with my brothers and sisters and connected to them by the love of God.