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Writer's pictureRev. João Moraes

Houses on Stilts

When I first visited the Gulf Coast, I was quite intrigued by the sight of houses built on stilts. I was born and raised by the ocean, but there were no such structures in my neck of the woods: down in Brazil, we leave houses on the ground—where they belong. At best, houses on stilts look funny and a bit awkward. At worst, they seem like a massive waste of resources: I’m no contractor but I cannot imagine how hard (and expensive!) it must be to build something 10ft. up in the air—not to mention that you’ve gotta go up those stairs EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Houses on stilts seem like a horrible idea.

 

That is until you know the stormy reality of the Gulf Coast. When a hurricane is upon us and a storm surge raises water levels be several feet, houses on stilts quickly go from silly to safe and the steps you once found challenging become comforting. That’s because houses on stilts are built for a reality that may seem hidden but is always present.

 

Such is the Kingdom of God. Jesus concluded his most practical sermon saying that “whoever hears these words and acts on them is like a wise man who builds his house on rock” rather than on sand. Obeying Jesus is like doing the hard work of digging on rock and setting foundations. Seems pretty straightforward even for those of us without a construction background. But, if I’m being honest, most of the time the teachings of Jesus are far from obvious.

 

Loving neighbors and enemies alike, not worrying about earthly treasures, not fighting those who try to harm us... Those teachings sound as silly as houses on stilts; they seem like an enormous waste of physical and emotional resources. And honestly, they would be if it wasn’t for the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

Like houses on stilts, the way of Jesus only makes sense in light of an often-unseen reality. The way of Jesus only makes sense when we understand that this world is not yet how it was meant to be; that our Creator and Savior is still working to redeem all things. And while such redemption will only be complete at the end of it all, he invites us to participate in parts of it here and now; he invites us to live in a way that may seem difficult, silly, and even pointless at first sight. But it makes complete sense in light of the Kingdom.



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