A Wise Builder – February 18

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:24–27 NLT)

Upon graduation, many Canadian-trained engineers are presented with an iron ring at a private ceremony called the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. There is story that is often shared around these rings, claiming that the initial batch were crafted from the beams of the first Quebec Bridge, which, due to faulty planning and design, collapsed during its construction, killing seventy-five workers. While the metal in the rings did not come from the bridge, the story continues to serve as a cautionary tale of what can happen when corners are cut in workmanship or materials. The ring, worn on the pinkie of the dominant hand, serves as a continual reminder to the engineer of their obligation to the ethical application of all they have been taught and are to put into practice.

Though not tied to a ceremony, there is a simple item worn by some Christians that serves this same purpose: a WWJD bracelet. It’s intent was to remind you to continually ask for any given situation, “What would Jesus do?” While a bit simplistic, Dallas Willard said something similar: “A disciple is someone who lives their life as Jesus would if he were in their shoes.”

Let us be wise by listening and following the teachings and example of Jesus and attempting to live as if he were in our shoes.

Print