The Sunday Sermonette — Keystone or Cornerstone?

Early Christmas morning, 1958, I dashed to our Christmas tree to see what dear Santa had left during the night at 5204 Greater Avenue, the address of our little house in Biloxi. It was a damp cold morning, with a drizzling rain that lacquered everything it touched with bone-chilling dampness. Our old floor furnace roared at full throttle to warm the house, Mom, Dad, and me.

Seeing the brightly-wrapped packages under the tree sent me scavenging around, looking for the ones with my name on them. Eureka! Found two! From one, wooden building blocks fell out, clattering across the wooden floor. From the other, thick burgundy-red books peaked, the words WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA were etched in gold. Little did I know what lessons about life those two gifts would provide.

As I aged, I continued playing with my blocks, building palaces and mansions—in my mind, at least. (oo) As my reading skills increased, I became fascinated with architecture and how buildings were constructed. That introduced me to two new words: keystone and cornerstone.

A keystone is a wedge-shaped stone at the top of an arch. It is the final stone positioned during construction, and it locks in place all the stones of the arch and the walls surrounding it. It is the most important stone in an arch. It is often used metaphorically for an essential part on which the whole depends.

A cornerstone is the first stone set in a masonry foundation. It is usually the largest, the most solid. All the other stones are set in reference to this stone, thus determining the integrity of the building. The entire building will be out of line if the cornerstone is not precisely positioned. Cornerstones are used metaphorically, too, symbolizing sturdiness, morality, and truth.

Keystones and cornerstones are fundamental parts of any architectural plan. And they are indispensable when it comes to the architecture of our lives, as well. Who is the keystone in the arch of your life? That wedge-shaped friend or family member who locks all the stones of your life in place? Who is the cornerstone at the base of your life’s foundation? That one stone that helps build a sturdy mind and body; that one stone that is your moral compass; and that one stone that is always faithful and true.

When it comes to eternity, however, there is only one keystone and only one cornerstone. Holy scriptures call Christ both the keystone and the cornerstone in God’s plan of redemption. Christ’s resurrection from the dead is the keystone of God’s arch of salvation. It is also the cornerstone of God’s plan for eternal life. Remove Jesus’ resurrection from this spiritual architectural plan, and the whole universe and eternity crumble into huge, jagged chunks. The Son of God existed before time itself. And He holds all creation and us together in His loving hands. Need a tried and true wedge in your life? Need a rock-solid cornerstone? Talk to Jesus. Talk to God. They will help you create a better architectural plan for your life.

Ponder this and go forth.

(P.S. Mom always kept my old blocks in a Del Monte box. Like me, it’s getting a little long in the tooth. )

(Originally published August 6, 2023)