Day 7: Foundations

Hello everyone,

When I was seven years old my family moved into an old double-wide trailer about five miles outside of Corvallis. The lady who had owned it before us had grown old without any relatives and the place had fallen into disrepair. Great tangles of Himalayan blackberries, poison oak, and witches’ broom had taken root in the front yard so that the old trailer was hardly visible from the road. The trailer was sided with bamboo mats and hung with about thirty wind chimes. To many, this would be a terrifying place to move to. But to a young boy, it was the ultimate adventure – a gigantic wilderness to tame and explore.

The first time I visited the trailer, my father was replacing the flooring. He called me over, handed me a drill with a wide bit, and gestured to the old floor. “You can drill a hole here if you want.” Drilling big holes? In a floor? There was something taboo about this that absolutely delighted me.

I seized the drill and set to work. First went a layer of hardwood flooring, making a circle of little tan flakes around the bit. Then with a short jolt I passed through a layer of yellow insulation. Little yellow pieces of foam shot to the surface. Now there was some stronger resistance, I was drilling through plywood. Darker brown sawdust shavings appeared. Still I drilled. And then a surprise: all resistance ended and my bit sank into the hole all of the way up to its hilt. It spun without resistance, dangling over some void below. Carefully I drew it out and peered into the hole. In the semi-darkness I was startled to see three feet of open space, then some old vines and roots, and down amongst them a set of thick concrete blocks resting on raw earth. These concrete blocks were supporting the full weight of the trailer.

I tell this story because it mirrors the path by which we discover the spiritual foundations of this world. Most of our lives are spent walking around on a sturdy floor of conventions and shared values. Going about our daily activities, we rarely heed this floor so long as it supports our feet and allows us to get from one place to another. But if by some chance you have the audacity to take up an electric drill and start to bore through a perfectly good floor, what you find below may shock you. There are so many odd layers, so many unexpected textures and materials. Influences from family members, famous artists, world events, and pure random chance that all along made up the substrate upon which you had been building your life. And then, deeper we find ourselves suspended over a sort of Jungian dream world at the confluence of the conscious and unconscious.

What a terrible thing! Many of the students we have talked to have never gone this far. But in the years to come, some of them will venture into this place. The hunger of a restless soul far removed from its creator will spur them on. And when they find themselves there, I hope that they will see clearly enough to discover that the final base of it all is Jesus Christ. He is the unmoved mover, the measure of measures, and the truth by which all other truth is established. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15,

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.

This evening I was playing volleyball with my mission teammates and the Canadian ENC team when the words “strong foundation” flitted through my head. This must have happened because our team was putting together some great plays and getting along well even though we had just met. But the foundation of our team was something quite apart from our own self-constructed identities or individual merit. It was something that came into being 2022 years ago; something that we have the good fortune of building upon today. Even through unexpected changes and discoveries it permits us to stand firm and resolute.

Speaking of unexpected changes and discoveries, most of our planned activities got canceled today. We did not go out on campus and evangelize. Instead, we spent much of our time in the hotel. I can’t give out all the details, but for now I will say that a few of us fell ill. I personally am well. If you are praying about this trip, I would ask that you pray for health and quick recovery for the team.

Much love from Canada -

Sincerely,

Sam