In New England we boast
many historical features. One such feature, albeit more obscure than most are
our “rock walls”. These walls are not unique to New England
but we do have a lot of them. At one point in history much of New
England had been stripped of trees and was farmed. To this day as
you ride down an interstate highway or country road beside what looks like a
well wooded forest you will see random stone walls race in and out of view
along odd lines and angles that may not make any sense relative to property and
fence lines that exist today.
Like spectral ghosts of the past these walls conjure images
of the people, now long gone, who built them one stone at a time – so long ago.
The fact is that those wooded forests of today are mostly secondary growth on ancient
farm fields retaken by nature. The walls were created over time by farmers as
they cleared forests and meadows of tress, pulled or burned out the stumps,
cleared brush and then plowed the virgin fields. The rocks were plentiful (as
anyone will attest who has dug a fence post hole in these parts) and the
farmers would deposit the stones at the edges of their fields – one by one.
Backbreaking work. Larger rocks may have been initially “steered around” until
another helper could assist in hauling it to the side of the field. Perhaps a
wagon followed the plow and the rocks were deposited there.
The rocks or stones were so plentiful that the resulting “piles”
became a nuisance and so the farmers painstakingly stacked them like puzzles into
narrow walls. In time these walls became convenient property line markers
and also served as defensive barriers during conflicts and hiding places for
valuables. Treasure hunters to this day will recover artifacts and valuables
from remote walls, items hidden there secretly in the stones away from their homestead.
Some of the rocks encountered would have been huge and
require teams of horses and men to move. Once “harvested” these individuals
would be used for construction in foundations or hewn into shape for window and
door frames, entrance thresholds, mantels or gateways. If a rock was too
stubborn, anchored and established in its location it might be left where it
lay and plowed around - a barren monument in the midst of an otherwise fertile
and fruit bearing field.
Believers who share their faith in New
England often refer to the kingdom building efforts in their
mission “field” as that of “plowing rocks”.
Once a sphere of influence (a field) has been established
the spiritual farmer sets about determining the boundaries and clearing the
ground for planting. Every square foot is precious with potential. And so the
plowing begins and every "rock" encountered is dealt with; big or small. As these
rocks are converted they become, like living stones, a living structure, a
church, a body that defends the field and provides a haven in which to take
refuge and produce fruit.
“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ.” ~ 1 Peter 2:5
A farmer’s commitment entails season after season in the
field - long after the initial clearing. It will take many seasons before all
the rocks are identified and united with the wall. The farmer becomes a stone handler, wall
builder and a wall repairer in the process. All of it built on THE Rock. With every successive season the
field yields greater crops and the harvester may enter adjacent wild fields for
clearing, plowing, rock harvesting and planting. Once a farmer, once a
harvester, once a stone handler, once a church builder always a farmer, always a harvester always a
handler and builder. There is no turning back on this work, there is no where else to go.
"For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building."
~ 1 Corinthians 3:9
And every once in a while, even in the most established of fields, an amazing thing occurs. A stone is uncovered that somehow was missed by the plow after so many seasons. The discovery is a reason for rejoicing and that rock is cradled and brought to rest with the others. And there is always a place for that rock with its unique shape and form and it fits just so in the body of the wall.
Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom
of God.” ~ Luke 9:62
Blessings,
Bill
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