Sadly, the only remnants of this modernist marvel are those three concrete pillars, standing defiantly above the ashes like the Holy Trinity. A great reminder for us that in moments of crisis, our faith can feel precarious at times. But the thing is, it’s not. Faith is absolutely rational simply because when it comes down to it, it's not about our faith per se, but God’s faith in us.
As we continue our journey through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we learn a few things about God’s faithfulness. So far we’ve discovered grace was given to us from the beginning of time And that out of great love for us, we are no longer dead because of our sin, but we are alive in Christ, the manifestation of God’s love given to the world. This grace and love, according to Paul’s letter, has nothing to do with anything we have accomplished. Instead, it’s all about what God has done for us…in Christ. More than saving us from something, God is rebuilding us for something. At the heart of this rebuilding is God’s radical, unifying love that tears down walls, heals old wounds, and creates a living, breathing community that reflects God’s presence in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us, abolishing the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone; in him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
Bathing in its light, I thought about how King David wanted to build a temple for God because he felt guilty that he was living in a luxurious palace while the ark of God remained in a tent.
In this story, God asks David: “Are you the one to build me a house to live in?” (2 Samuel 7:5). It seems David was blinded by his own desires, and missed a very important point: God doesn’t need a house to dwell in, because God has chosen to dwell in us. Although La Sagrada is truly the most amazing building ever imagined, the Bible teaches us that God doesn’t need more church buildings. God needs us to just be the church, the living Body of Christ. A place where God can dwell. And love can thrive. God invites us to play a part in this construction. And so Paul writes, “You who were once far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). We are not separated from Christ, but in Christ we are drawn into God’s redemptive purpose for creation. I know what it feels like to be disconnected— allowing my wounds, fears, and endless excuses to isolate me from God and others. But this is precisely the space where Christ comes to draw us back to God. And unite us with one another. Christ is the blueprint used to connect and reconstruct us with God, and God with us. Like Paul writes in another letter, “It is not I who lives, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians. 2:20). Most religious people still think God is just somewhere out there. And if we do these rituals and say the right prayers we get access to God. I believe God is out there, because God is everywhere including in here, in you and me. Richard Rohr reminds us that “True spiritual transformation happens once we realize our union with God right here, right now and it has nothing to do with any performance or achievement on our part.” We are saved, not by what we’ve done but what God has done for us. Remember from last week, “By grace you have been saved, through faith that is not ours” (Ephesians 2:8). God did not send Christ into the world so we could get into heaven. Christ came to get heaven into us. Jesus’ entire ministry was to prepares a place where God’s love could dwell—a everlasting and all-inclusive love that isn’t limited by walls, doctrines, or beliefs. A love that welcomes all as they are - without judgement. Paul emphatically proclaims, Christ smashes down the walls that divide us. He is the master builder, taking a sledgehammer to our old selves, before measuring, cutting, and reframing our hearts and minds to reflect his. We are Christ body. “A temple of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:19). In him, we are built back better. A Holy and sacred space where God’s presence can reside. But there’s more to this than just being a place for God to visit. Years ago, when my parents were remodeling their home, I suggested they tear down the wall that faced the woods and replace the space with windows. While the contractor wasn’t too happy with this suggestion, it was clearly the right thing to do. No matter where you sit in their living room you get a view of their amazing and beautiful backyard. In the same way, Christ replaces the walls around our hearts with windows—so we can not only see heaven all around us, but so others can see heaven within us. This should help us better understand our theme is “building a community of love in the space between.” Achieving this requires new construction—not just in you or me, but in us collectively. Paul uses the plural and not the singular tense to speak to this idea. First, he wrote, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). Now Paul confidently states, “In Christ we are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” Again, this isn’t talking about a brick and mortar building. It’s about hearts that are connected and united in the Spirit of God’s love. In order for this to happen, we must allow God to reshape us as living temples of love where Christ is the cornerstone. We must allow God’s being and essence to take root in us “so the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy.” (Nouwen) As the living embodiment of God’s love in the flesh, Jesus shows us how humility, compassion and grace become the very things that fill Anamesa the space between us and God; between you and me. By following the way of Jesus, we too can embody God’s love— offering others a foretaste of heaven here on earth. Nouwen writes, “I know that I have to move from speaking about Jesus to letting him speak within me, from thinking about Jesus to letting him think within me, from acting for and with Jesus to letting him act through me. I know the only way for me to see the world is to see it through his eyes.” This is what it means to be the church, the very embodiment of Christ who welcomed others without discrimination or judgement. Jesus teaches us how it can be accomplished: by listening to others with compassion, forgiving with generosity, and demanding every human is treated justly and fairly. We all play a role in this sacred work. But we don’t do it alone. Those three pillars rising above the ashes over Sunset Boulevard, remind us that God—our Creator, Savior, and Sustainer—is always at work sifting through the damage; rebuilding us from the inside out. It might take years, even decades, to rebuild the homes and communities that were affected by the LA fires. But God’s restoration is happening now. And every time a neighbor help a neighbor, God’s kingdom comes. God’s will is done, on earth as it is in heaven. With each act of love, charity, and kindness we show, the walls that have divided us crack and crumble. Through it all, God is with us clearing away the rubble of doubt, fear, and pain. And building new hearts full of hope, peace, and love…where Christ is the cornerstone. “In him the whole structure is joined together.” And for him may we grow together spiritually as a dwelling place for God. Work Cited Nouwen, Henri J. M. Finding Our Sacred Center: A Journey to Inner Peace. Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2021. Rohr, Richard. “The Divine in This and in Us.” Daily Meditations. Center for Action and Contemplation, 27 December 2024. Accessed [18 January 2025].
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