A song doesn't need to be deep to be inspiring. Here, Oasis summon a flurry of revved-up guitars to offer encouraging words to anybody down in the dumps. Singer Liam Gallagher effectively sums up the urge to choose hope over pessimism with these simple lines: "Build something/Build a better place and call it home/Even if it means nothing/You'll never ever feel that you're alone."
Say Something shout it from the roof tops off your head
Make it sort of mean something make me understand or I'll forget
The people here on life's beaches they wish upon the waves that hide the sand
Let them know that life teaches you to build a castle in the hand
Maybe the songs that we sing are wrong
Maybe the dreams that we dream are gone
So bring it on home and it wont be long
It's getting better man!
Hey! What was that you said to me?
Just say the word and I'd be free?
And where the stars are shining bright
It's getting better man!
And crashing in upon a wave
It's calling out beyond the grave
And We're the fire in the sky
We're getting better man!
Build something build a better place and call it home
Even if it means nothing you'll never-ever feel that you're alone
If you had to evacuate your home because of rising water following severe storms, imagine how difficult it would be to return and assess the damage: muddy floors, moldy walls, and worldly possessions headed for a dumpster. It would be emotionally devastating to observe the physical destruction that the waters caused. We saw this in Yorkshire a couple of years ago around the York area.
Jesus told a story about building on a location to avoid destruction. He compared a wise builder and a foolish one. The foolish builder built his house on a nice sandy stretch by the water. It was a beautiful place to live, until the storm hit. There was no defense against the rising waters—a complete loss (maybe even a loss of life!). In contrast, there was a wise builder. He built his house in the hills; he spent the extra time and money to firmly position it on solid rock. It was worth it. The building remained high above the flood waters and stood strong against the wind.
Jesus’ short story speaks volumes for our lives. He wants us to think carefully about the foundation on which we build our lives. It needs to be strong when life’s storms strike. When you have lost your job, we want strength to keep a positive outlook. When conflict loosens family ties, we want tight knots to hold it together. When we’ve really messed up, the guilt must not sweep us away. When bad news comes, there needs to be rock-like endurance to get us through.
There’s much advice today about successfully building our lives: build up a network of reliable family and friends, develop more of a positive attitude, get different forms of insurance for rainy days, and pursue proven avenues of achievement. But in the end, they’re all “sand foundations.” The storms that overwhelm human hearts and hopes are far too violent. We need something stronger to build on.
Jesus tells us to build our lives and futures on the solid rock of his word. It takes some time and effort to build that way, but Jesus says it’s worth it. Hearing of his sacrifice on the cross brings us the lasting peace that we’re forgiven. Hearing that Jesus rose and ascended to rule over all things gives us firm hope in the midst of life’s uncertainties.
Don’t build your life on shifting sand. Build on solid rock. That’s Jesus. His teachings give you the strongest foundation for life. Confidently build your life on him and you will have hope. Build something build a better place and call it home
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