This is the seventh in the UCCDM Lenten Devotional for 2014. It is written by Rev. Jeanne Tyler, Vice Chair of UCCDM. Her bio is on the Board of Directors page.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.-Psalm 118:22
I like to play with images and words. They help place me in my experience of the world. In Psalm 118, we hear or read, verse 22, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” Now, this is interesting. A cornerstone is a foundational stone marking the corner of a building. It is one significant stone. Being the chief cornerstone makes it even more of a significant stone. But, the builders rejected it. And yet, someone dragged it back and placed it well so it became the chief cornerstone. Is not this interesting and intriguing, particularly on Palm Sunday? We know the story of Palm Sunday when Jesus enters Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and the people greet his entry with palms and shouts of Hosanna!
Who among us has not experienced rejection because of a perceived flaw? Most builders want to build an enduring building and they look for stones that match their ideals of “significant” stones. So, how is it possible for a rejected stone to become the cornerstone? How is it possible for people with disabilities to place ourselves at the cornerstone? We are often rejected. We are not good enough, we are not smart enough, we are not political enough, or we are not significant enough to become a cornerstone. What value do we offer in centering the walls of an enduring building?
We offer our humanity; judged as perhaps insignificant, yet created in the complexity and mysterious Image of God. We who cannot hide nor deny our full humanity offer our very bodies as testament to the love of God. In language of covenant, we are grateful to the creation and to Jesus who becomes the cornerstone of our faith; unexpected yet acclaimed.
Prayer Holy One, give us hope and grace in ourselves as we are. It is a great paradox that the stone rejected by builders becomes the chief cornerstone. Thank you for the diversity of creation and for times of being the chief cornerstone. Amen.
