Today's Scripture Reading (January 13, 2022): Deuteronomy 12
Once upon a time, there was a house that stood at 17
Bruton Street in Mayfair, London. Today, an office tower stands where a house stood almost a hundred
years ago, amidst a block of houses. At some point in the past, these
houses were torn down to make room for modernization. What is significant about the house is that it was the
birthplace of a future monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Of course, on April 21, 1926, no one knew that the baby born
within its walls would become a Queen that has become much-loved by most of her subjects. On that day, it was the birthplace of the first child of a young couple named Albert and Elizabeth. The child would bear her mother's name, Elizabeth, and would live a fairly normal life. On
April 21, 1926, there was no thought that this little girl would someday become
Queen. Her father was the second son of the reigning King, George V. Edward,
George's oldest son, would be king, and he would be succeeded by his
children. Becoming King or Queen has always been an accident of birth,
and Albert and his oldest child were born just a little too late for any major
Royal dreams. For Albert, that was an okay reality. He didn't want to be king.
All of that changed on December 11, 1936. Young
Elizabeth was only ten-years-old at the time. But on that day, the King and
Elizabeth's uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated the throne. Elizabeth's father, Albert, became King George VI and the ten-year-old Elizabeth became the heir presumptive, first in line to become Queen of
England on the day her father died.
Somehow, all of this was lost, and the house at 17 Bruton Street was torn down and lost to
history. For
sentimental people like me, it was an incredible loss. It is a wonder that
someone didn't realize the importance of the house where Elizabeth II was born,
only to be replaced with a non-descript office tower.
I have always taught that buildings are just that,
buildings. Buildings
in our society are nothing more than tools put to work for a specific purpose. I
know of homes that have been turned into law offices. Churches that have been
turned into homes. I know of one Masonic Lodge that is now the site of a Pentecostal-style church. And many storefront locations that have
also become churches. In our society, any building can be made suitable for almost
any purpose with just a little modification. Buildings, if they are in good shape, are valuable
commodities. And sometimes, buildings have sentimental value because of
something that happened there in ages past. I admit that I am one of the people who enjoys walking down historical streets and reading the plaques that describe the historical value of the buildings standing there.
There is nothing new in this changing
use of buildings.
Buildings have always been valuable. And the ancient world suffered from a
terminal lack of facilities. To destroy a building was to make an expensive
statement. When the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E., the intention was to demoralize a nation. The normal
practice was to take an existing place of worship and convert it to worship a new God. But Israel was forbidden to accept that
practice. God explicitly
forbade his people
to take an existing place of worship and convert for some other purpose. Regardless of the value or sentimentality,
the building was to be completely
destroyed. The destruction of these buildings symbolized the rejection of a local deity to worship
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was an important statement,
regardless of the cost or useability of the buildings that had to be destroyed.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 13
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