12.15.99

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. - 1 Corinthians 3:12-13.

Most of us have heard of the bonfire tragedy at Texas A&M University. We wonder how such a thing could happen, and some have suggested poor supervision along with a lack of construction according to proven designs used in the past as the cause. Now there is new information that has been brought forward suggesting the entire structure was leaning. Doug Keegan, a senior applied mathematics major, superimposed a grid over the photos of the stack and discovered what he believes was a slack in the support cables on one side of the stack. There also appears to be a slight bow in the center pole. One student involved in the construction said that shortly before the collapse the stack did appear to be slightly leaning. The dean of Baylor University's engineering and computer sciences school believes the uneven distribution of weight may explain the collapse. He also stated that the method and materials used in building the stack made it "a very complicated structure."

Only a slight leaning of the stack appears to have resulted in its collapse. What is true of bonfire stacks is also true of the human life. We are instructed to build carefully upon the foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11) our Lord has laid. "But let each one take heed how he builds on it (1 Corinthians 3:10b)." If we do not use the proper materials and construction techniques, our human lives will come tumbling down, just as surely as did the A&M bonfire stack.

With what should we build our lives? The apostle Paul recommends "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32)." Solomon says "Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established (Proverbs 24:3)." From where does wisdom and understanding come? The Psalmist tells us "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever (Psalm 111:10)."

If your life was a building, and the Lord was a building inspector, would you pass the inspection? Or would He find some shoddy construction, which has resulted in a life that is leaning?