Have you ever looked at a building and just felt awed by its magnificence and splendor of design and make? In the 90’s while on a school tour in a certain city, children from a rural school could not hold on. They literally told the driver to drive into the compound of a great mall, for them to just stare and gaze at a building. One of them remarked, ”Teacher, why do we look so small here?

When it comes to appearance, the John Hancock Tower too was an awe of its kind in the 70’s.Infact, it was unveiled in 1976 after some magnificent Architectural work of design by the I.M. Pei & Partners. On the surface, its striking appearance won hearts and accolades from the architectural community, and the public at large.

By design and look, it was magnificent and to the point-according to our understanding- but unfortunately, the same building was plagued with unseen forces that the designers did not consider before embarking on the project of building it.

One of the issues the building encountered was to do with the windows: They were falling out and crashing to the pavement hundreds of feet below. In the 1992 book “Why Buildings Fall Down,” authors Matthys Levy and Mario Salvadori explained that this was due to unanticipated, repeated thermal stresses to the panels. Later, all 10,000 windows in the building would be replaced at an estimated cost of $5 million.

Though the replacement of the windows was a good boost to the building, it was not the end of the problem. By design, Skyscrapers are meant to sway in order to absorb strong gusts of wind, though the sway is normally not felt by the building’s residents. The John Hancock Tower, however, swayed so dramatically that it gave the occupants of its upper floors motion sickness. It was an architectural accomplishment that was good to look at from outside, yet inside, it suffered major foundational issues that if handled properly, the designers would have a name for themselves forever.

We all know negative feedback sells more than good feedback and once the problems started streaming in, the people started asking the architects and engineers of the building questions they had no answers too.Suddenly,they knew how far reaching their mistakes could cost them as the owners of the building demanded for answers.

When talking to the disciples, Jesus talks of two buildings. All the buildings were built magnificently- though one was on sand and the other on a firm foundation of the rock.
Unfortunately, the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house that was magnificently built on sand, and sure enough, it fell, and great was the fall of it.”On the other hand, the other house build on the rock did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. Matthew 7:24-27

It’s amazing how this covid season has isolated real Christians from the many who knew little about God, yet attended church services regularly. From the outside, you could see Christians smiling and praising the Lord during “the before of covid 19” but when reality sunk in, as it has been said, majority of those who professed Christianity are no longer Christians. Some backslide from the 1st month when covid arrived from Wohun while others, it took some 3 month of lockdown for them to cave-in with distrust towards God.How can a good God bring a pandemic to ravage his people like this-across the whole world? How can a good God let people suffer, children die of a disease that no one-including the doctors, have no solution to it? That is just one of the many questions they ask in disgust, as they point an accusing finger to the God of heaven.

Actually, majority of them have never gone to church ever since the government said people should go on with worship-with all protocols observed. The fear of the unknown has ravaged them and taken the place they once reserved for God. Their hope in God is no more, as they only look for daily briefings by government,on what to do,where to go or how to be safe(which is good). The safety net they had in Christ have been replaced with a pandemic they knew nothing about, when they used to attend church regularly. From the Indian variant, delta variant and all the variance that covid19 seems to bring every day, has made them fold their hands and hide in a cave of their own-as they push God away from the picture.

The reality of the matter is, our Christian faith is under test during this covid19 season but what a blessing, if your foundation in Christ was built on the rock that cannot be swayed by the winds of time. It saddens me to hear how many have gone out of the way, just because of covid 19. Jesus was clear when talking about the two buildings. He said,” everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them- will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  (Matthew 26- 27). 

Dear Christian, allow me to ask you this,”how grounded are you in the word of God? How central is it in your daily walk with the Lord, as you navigate through this trying season? What a shame to grow up, be raised in church and yet fall from the faith-reason being a pandemic called covid 19. During this season,and regardless of how much this has affected you,can you kneel down like Job and say ,”Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”(Job 1:21)? How strong is your foundation in Christ? The John Hancock Tower could not stand the test as it gave in to the winds and heat but my question still remains,how is this Covid wind and heat standing out for you? Have you caved in with disbelief or in faith,you can easily thank God for everything-as you hope for a better tomorrow-both in God and for the world we live in.

Regardless of what is going on,always beware “we’re not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.(Hebrews 10:39). Let us hope always in God because everything will pass away,but his word that is planted in us,will live forever. We will win this covid battle craft abetter future for us,and our generation.God bless you