a stone mason's skill is defined by astute
perception of usefulness-
how will this stone fit amongst the other stones-
how will this part of the wall hold up-
is the wall straight-
given the stones how much integrity can i
build into this structure-
as we know now from modern physics
stones are alive
there is motion in the stones
on one hand it is super fast
on another it is deep and slow
is it right to say that a community
is built of such stones
as Peter wrote about
Peter the rock
Petros
there needs be certainty
for community to thrive
someone needs to know that
this stone or that stone
will always be there
and the house will stand
in relationship to this consistency
a christian community has a sense
of the transcendence of such stones
stones die or crack or fall down
and they are still part of the wall
or the arch or they leave their imprint there
their lives are marked by eternal trajections
and thus when they pass into eternal life
they remain as stones in the
transcendent thinking of the community
still struggling still working to settle in
still nudged firmly together with the grout of prayer
the mason must think
must perceive the best possible fit
it's not going to be perfect as in brickwork
but with a feeling for gravity
with a perception of form
with a relational sense
this one will work - this one will not
this one will go better over here
the living stones can begin to settle in
the foundation stones will hold everything up
the practice of strengthening the wall
requires a healthy recollecton of the work of yesterday
and a constant mind toward the best possible wall
the best possible house
the best possible community
the stones live
they live with one another
they set with one another
in an eternal fashion
defying the pressures of time
although
walls neglected do break down
as we know
and the stones lie there in disarray
at a loss
almost yearning to return to the order
the mason devised centuries ago
living stones are subject to both elegance
and disarray
the natural state being one of contingency
i seek to understand more
the way of living stones
