“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.” 1 Peter 2:4 (ESV)
If you were to make a visit to a preaching station or church and school in the rural areas of Haiti and share a message with them about a cornerstone, the message would probably not be very clear or relevant to their culture. Many of the structures that you would visit would be made from branches, palm leaves and bamboo or wood poles and if the structure was really nice it would have a corrugated metal roof. A cornerstone is a very precious stone to a stone cutter; it is the solid piece that the remainder of the structure is built upon.
The attached photo is of a church and school in a small town west of Les Cayes and is located about a hundred feet from the shore of the Caribbean. I seem to think that this school is located in Chamblain but I could be wrong…God knows where this school is located. When I first saw it the first words to come into mind were ‘maintenance nightmare’. When showing this photo to groups in North America, people just don’t want to believe that this is a school; some people hear voices, some see invisible people and others have no imagination whatsoever. God can use the simplest of things to accomplish the greatest feats imaginable. The truth here is that Christ is the cornerstone of this Church and School in Haiti. The children attending this school will be the missionaries who take the news of their risen Savior to the lost souls living in their neighborhoods. The Lutheran hymn “Christ is our Cornerstone” was written by John Darwall in 1837 and its message still holds true today.
“Christ is our cornerstone, on him alone we build; with his true saints alone the courts of heaven are filled. On his great love our hopes we place of present grace and joys above. Oh, then, with hymns of praise these hallowed courts shall ring; our voices we will raise the Three in One to sing. And thus proclaim in joyful song, both loud and long that glorious name. Here, gracious God, do now and evermore draw near; accept each faithful vow, and every suppliant hear. In copious shower, on all who pray each holy day Your blessing pour. Here may we gain from heaven the grace which we implore, and may that grace, once given, be with us evermore. Until that day when all the blest to endless rest are called away.” Thank you for your continued support of Christian education throughout this world, as His children go about fulfilling His Good and Perfect purpose and walk with their Savior.
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay