Oikian Epi Tēn Petran

I had lived in a castle of sand.

Beautifully constructed;

With pillars of jewels,

Towers of marble,

Moats of gleaming pools.

I watched out the window as the roaring waters ebbed and flowed,

Counting all those who enjoyed its depths quite special.

I watched them swim and get caught in the swirls,

Laughing and singing with melodies of joy.

I reminded myself to love my castle.

To take pride in the walls I had built,

The doors I'd hinged tightly to their frames,

The floors of hardwood - unchanging in the wind, impermeable to fire.

I looked with longing as they played in the waves.

Basking in the sun, jumping into the chasm of mystery.

There I was in my prison of solitude;

Comforting myself with assurances of lies.

Convincing my mind that the voice who cried for more simply suffered from a touch of drama.

One day the tide came in.

I had no time to brace for impact.

Being overtaken feels peacefully overwhelming;

Breaking under the wharf reminds of a home I've yet to inhabit,

Yet one I know so deeply belongs to my soul.

The ocean's coolness embraces me as a Father's arm.

The sun's warmth breathes solace on my skin.

I now build my house on the rocks.

These that get bathed afresh each morning as they sit in the presence of goodness.

These that are weathered in winds of grace and formed into newness by the waters of provision.

My window's view is quite different now,

As I stare into the eyes of love that never cease in staring back.

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Biblical Context

Oikian epi tēn petran is a Greek phrase meaning "house upon the rock" and is referenced in Jesus' teaching at the sermon on the mount in Matthew 7:24-27:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

For those who are sitting in anything less than the beauty of the waves - God wants to wash you in newness. Jesus wants to redeem you from complacency; He wants to give you the fullness of His love, pure and sweet, refreshing and holy. He wants you to sit with Him in the Heavenly places.

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:6

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