Have you ever realized that we pick up stones at the wrong time? A stone represents an object (metaphorically) that we use to tear someone or something down. A popular Superchic[k] song goes something like this…..
Some people bring you gifts Some bring you bricks to weight you down So they can swim a little higher while you drown some people mean so well Their way was the best way that they found But any other way you choose is a brick that weights you down So tell me what do I do with this backpack Full of bricks and sticks and stones and words that stuck to me like ticks Let it go, let it be Brick by brick we can be free of all the words we saved Till we were our own enemies Let it go, let it be Brick by brick we can believe in the person God intended us to be Let it be Some people give themselves a brick I know most people do when we compare We fall short somewhere It’s always true if all we see is where we fall We’ve bricked a prison wall instead of trying to learn to fly We’ve taught ourselves to crawl we could believe in ourselves More we could try for unique Instead of trying to conform We could defy what they tell us Don’t buy the lies they sell us if we’re brave we can believe in what we are. . .
This song encourages people to let the bricks and stones of hurt slide off their backs. I love when it says “We’ve bricked a prison wall instead of trying to learn to fly.” That statement is so true and completely sums up the whole reasoning behind “sticks and stones. . .”
All too often we spot the “sins” in other people and then through accusations and insults their way. We completely miss seeing our own faults and mistakes. We miss throwing the stone at the giant in front of us because we are too worried about looking perfect to the world around us and making everyone else look like a failure. Ouch, right?
Just look at the woman caught in adultery in the Bible. The Pharisees caught this woman and dragged her to the feet of Jesus. They screamed that she deserved to die and began gathering stones with which to kill her. Jesus ordered that the first person without sin in his life should be the first person to throw a stone at the woman. Consequently everyone slowly began walking away until finally Jesus was left alone with the lady. She asked him if he was going to throw a stone at her and he said no, but to leave and walk away from her sins. Talk about a crowd of people trying desperately to throw stones at the wrong time. . .
Now think about a simple shepherd boy with five smooth stones standing in front of an enormous giant. David carefully placed his stone in his sling, wound up, and aimed for Goliath’s forehead and in a split-second the giant that stood before him came tumbling down. Now that is a boy throwing a stone at the right time.
A great literary example would be in the book, The Scarlet Letter. The townspeople publicly disown Hester because she had a child out of wedlock. They threw a fat, scarlet letter onto her clothing that she would be adorned with forever. Stones were thrown at the wrong time.
This is such a tough principle, but if we can learn to tackle this, then we can introduce love to the a world that is breaking as a result of stones thrown at the wrong time.
