by Rev Douglas Brauner

The old, old story isn’t as ancient as another story.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”
Romans 7:6 English Standard Version

Which of these two towers is the oldest and which is the newest?

I know, dumb question, but it’s really not.

From outward appearances, even a first grader would tell us that the communications tower is newer than the church steeple and that child would be correct. This church has stood its ground on this corner for many years. I’m not even sure that the communications tower was here when I moved to Colorado Springs.

However, according to their purposes, the church steeple might be considered newer than the other tower, and no, I have not lost my mind.

Ever since the fall of humanity into sin, we’ve been trying to build our personal and corporate towers of Babel.

“Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:4 English Standard Version

The tower was symbolic of a deeper problem. The goal of the builders was not to construct it but to make a name for themselves. Isn’t that an ancient problem? The communications tower is symbolic of our need to be a somebody, to advance beyond all other generations, to be known for something important, and that’s an old story.

Yes, the church steeple speaks an ancient message, but it is much more recent than the story of the communications tower. It is the message that God knows our name. He calls us by name. Our names are written in his book of life, written in the blood of his Son Jesus.

Make no mistake about it, the old, old story is the new story we need to hear every day.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado