When the Temple is Gone

We’re approaching month…nine of some version of quarantine or social distancing. Here at home things restrictions have let up-nevermind that more people are sick now than ever. But my friends in places like Oregon or the UK are back on lockdown.

One of the most interesting things to watch in all this, in America particularly, is what churches are doing. In our country alone, there are churches not even thinking about opening, to churches who have defied every CDC recommendation to date, to everything in between.

And I get it. As a person of faith, the place of faith is sacred. It’s special, home. It’s where we often labor the burdens of the past week, and regain strength to do it again the next week.

But what if this is a chance to iron clad your faith beyond your weekly fill-up?

What if this is a chance to defend and protect people over your building?

We see Jesus mess with people who love the temple more than people-a lot. Sometimes he’s flipping tables. Other times he’s showing up and disturbing service. My favorite moment is in John 2.

Jesus says,

“Tear down this Temple and in three days I’ll put it back together.”

They were indignant: “It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you’re going to rebuild it in three days?”

They were indignant. To be honest, I’ve seen a lot of indignant Christians when their city leaders told them not to meet this year. Imagine if Jesus told you to tear your church down. Would you trust Him? Do you trust Him now?

If your response to the lack of a temple is indignance, anger, or rebellion, Jesus might actually be asking you to tear the temple down in your heart.

In this passage, the temple isn’t what you thought it was. It’s Him. He is who/what will be rebuilt in three days. He is our home.

And that’s the same for us.

It’s okay to long for meeting with the body of Christ-we are commanded to do that! But my hope is that we don’t sit and long and wait until its all over, when we could be building the temple in our lives.

Some of the sweetest moments of 2020 have been a handful of people in my home, talking of faith and encouraging one another. It doesn’t have to be what you’re used to.

Jesus died and rose again for us so our faith could be dynamic through the ages and fluid through any earthly circumstance. He saved us so we could show light in times of darkness…like right now.

I’ve been praying the following prayer in my life as not to miss this opportunity to build the temple of my heart and my home. My church is slowly starting to show signs of normalcy-but I welcome this place to grow.

Jesus,

Move my heart to make space for the construction you want to do inside.

Tear down what you wish, I’m holding onto nothing.

Change my physical home from animal skin to a garden.

Turn my house, my marriage, and my life to a place of refuge for those around me.

Give me the boldness to sing when I’m not surrounded by 100 other voices.

Build in me, as I commit to building with you, a daily temple mindset so that I can be Heaven on Earth for people around me.

Amen

***

P.S. to my friends who have actually been held to a serious standard of lockdown (unlike myself in Atlanta, Georgia) I don’t want to minimize the difficulty of isolation. I know many of you can’t even have friends to your home to practice what I’m suggesting. If that is you, please know I’m with you and want to send you something. Email e.beth2014@gmail.com with your name, address and situation so I can send something your way.