I remember some years back, when I lived in Istanbul, there
were so many old buildings around and they were considered historical buildings.
The owners of these buildings were given two choices, they would have to either
sell their properties (which no body would really want to buy them), or to renovate
them. The owners did not like to renovate them because as historical buildings
they would have to go through certain codes and regulations that cost lots of
money and time and on top of that, the cost of renovating and ancient building
was almost as high as building a brand new one. Along with that, these
historical buildings were not beneficial to the owners because even if they
renovated them, there would only be three or four apartments in them. In a city
of over seventeen million population, three or four families worth of rent does
not bring a lot of money for the owners. For the same money, they could tear
the whole thing down and build a ten or twenty story building and make a lot more
money, but the government would not allow them to do that. So to deal with the government,
the owners, would abandon their properties, pay taxes for them and not do
anything else to them, hoping that over the course of time due to the lack of up
keep these buildings would collapse on their own. Some did. I remember one of
these buildings that was right next to our building were we lived collapsed one
day and scared the life out of us all. Thankfully no one got hurt. Yet, many of
these buildings have lasted decades and will continue to stand for many more
years.
If the buildings collapse, then the owners could try to get permission
to build something new in place of the old building. Their trick involves taking
the risk of waiting for so long to see what happens. It involves carelessness
and even messing with the lives of other people.
As I think about this story, I wonder how often we treat our
own spirituality the same way. Instead of thinking of ways of which to take
care of our souls, we wait and wait, hoping that one day we can renew our inner
self all together. We leave our lives to chance thinking that the cost of
fixing our lives at this moment is too high and we do not consider the fact
that the more we wait the more we will lose. Yet God calls us to be new
creations in Him today. He asks us to come to Him as we are with the promise
that He will transform us and build us up. His promise goes beyond renovation
and up keep of our spirituality. It is a promise of grace that takes away all
the filth and old mess. Imagine yourself as an old run down building that is
about to collapse, but God’s grace gives you the promise of renewing you daily
and fixing you up. Don’t get me wrong, there are still risks in following God
too, but they are not risks of carelessness and selfishness. They are risks
that help build you up into a mighty creation. They are risks that help you
lift others who are about to collapse.
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace,
which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are
sanctified” (Acts 20:32).
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in
all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every
good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5: 17).
