The Trouble with Building Sandcastles

During a recent vacation trip to Destin, Florida, we spent a lot of time on the beach. My days of soaking up rays and trying to achieve the world’s darkest tan are over, but I always enjoy watching the relentless waves crashing toward the shore. The unending ebb and flow of the tides is truly one of nature’s wonders.

One day I observed a man and woman building an extremely elaborate sandcastle. I’ve seen simple sandcastles many times, the product of a plastic bucket, toy shovel and water. But this sandcastle was something to behold, complete with arched gates, stairways along two sides, towers with pointed turrets, and of course, the requisite moat.

 

As I watch them, I discovered there are even specialized tools for creating sandcastles. Turned out these folks were working for a sand sculpture company that teaches beachgoers how to build sandcastles, demonstrating their skills at birthday parties and other special events. Who knew there was money to be made in sand?

 

Their work was meticulously detailed to make it appear the sandcastle had been constructed with tiny sand bricks. It was entertaining to watch how diligently and carefully they worked; I appreciate the myriad ways people manifest their creativity, and this was yet another example.

 

But as I observed their sand artistry, I couldn’t help thinking about Jesus Christ’s parable about two types of people – those who hear and obey His teachings, and those who don’t:

“…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” (Matthew 7:24-27).

 

Sandcastles can be pretty,
but they don't last.

When the man and woman had finished creating their marvel of a sandcastle, they left their creation to stand proudly all day for passersby to admire. The next morning, however, the sandcastle was gone. No trace remained to indicate it was ever there. Perhaps someone mischievously kicked it down, but more likely the advancing tides beat against it and eventually leveled it.

The sandcastle, as grand as it once appeared, was a metaphor for many of our lives – and society in general. Whether it’s an extensive education, a career, a thick investment portfolio, personal reputation, or many other things, they’re like building with sand. A strong wind or surging wave can bring any of them crashing down if they’re not anchored on the right things.

 

For many years our society seemed to be undergirded with a commonly understood Judeo-Christian ethic. Some decades ago, however, the powers that be deemed that was no longer necessary, that we didn’t need God. Kind of reminds me of the ancient Israelites, who had turned to the Lord in times of distress, but in times of prosperity determined they could do perfectly fine without Him. As it turned out, that didn’t work out very well for them.

 

I think of the refrain from the old hymn that’s rarely heard in most churches these days: “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” There’s a lot of truth to that, but many of us seem to have forgotten it.

Maybe it’s time – personally and collectively – that we re-examine our foundations. Are they built on the solid, steady, unshakable Rock, or are they teetering on sinking sand?