Level and Plumb

I've been thinking a bit about building things (like houses, sheds, structures of some kind), how it is done, what the starting point is, what tools are needed, what the principles are.  It's pretty interesting how the tools we use today have changed so very little from those used in ancient times.

Two words are crucial to constructing anything.  (1) Level.  (2) Plumb.  

The builder has to determine what's perfectly flat. To do this, he uses a tool known as a level.  But the concept has been around for ages.  When the pyramids were built, they dug deep trenches in the sand, side by side like garden rows.  Then they poured water into the trenches and waited for the ripples to subside.  The mark the water made defined "level" and they built from that point upward, using what was level as a guide. 

They knew that digging down deep and putting water in these trenches, the water would seek the lowest place possible.  This would define the base of the pyramid.

The level for those seeking a life of fulfillment and purpose is a rather unlikely one but it parallels (no pun intended) the concept of seeking the lowest place.  It is the knowledge that no matter how hard we try, living life by trying to control all the variables just doesn't work.  It is the admission that on our own we cannot do anything of lasting value.  It is the concession that we are powerless to make life work.  Once that comes to us and we are still, that marks the point at which we can be ready for the next and equally crucial concept in this process.

Once the level (horizontal line) is known, a plumb line has to be dropped to determine what is absolutely at right angles with "level."  A plumb line is a string weighted at one end.  Plumb lines have looked very much the same since they were first invented, well prior to the Egyptian dynasties.  They usually come to a point and are balanced so that the point will be directly in line with the string.  Their purpose is to draw a vertical line from the base upward, as a guide in order to keep the building from getting lopsided (and therefore unstable).  

The way this is done is that the plumb line is dropped from above, and has to come to a complete standstill.  This takes time.  The weight at the bottom has to stop swinging, be perfectly still and not be touching any surface underneath that would influence the outcome.  This is the only way to determine if there is a perfectly vertical line.  

You don't just drop one plumb line and that's it.  Over and over again the plumb line comes out and the builder checks to see that everything is square.  At every new level, the plumb line not only shows which way is up, but the builder can determine whether the structure is "true" - that is, whether the horizontal lines at each stage are parallel to the level that was determined at the beginning, and whether each piece or wall is perpendicular to that, going straight up and down.

It doesn't matter if the building is ornate or not, or even if the walls and floor are made of sturdy materials (although that helps). But even with the strongest materials, it matters most if the structure is level and plumb.  If it isn't, it will eventually crumble.

We need to keep admitting and remembering that we are powerless over our own lives - this keeps us on the level - and that without God (our plumb line) we would never be able to live lives filled with peace and happiness.

But many of us treat our relationship with God like a tire swing.  Sure, when it's just sitting there, it shows what's vertical.  But we like to get on the weight (the tire) and see how far we can go.  It's fun to push the limits.

Unfortunately, we never get anything accomplished that way.  We just keep going over and over the same things and we might end up kind of dizzy, disoriented.

Remembering to stay level - that is, recognizing that even after getting into a relationship with God, we can do nothing at all to live the way He intends - "grounds" us.  And maintaining the plumb line - which only requires that we are quiet and let Him define which way is up - reminds us that it's only because of Him that we can accomplish anything at all. After all, He's the One who dropped the plumb line in the first place. He holds it steady at His end. The only variability is at our end.  

No wonder He says, "Be still, and know that I am God." (Ps. 46:10)

When we start thinking that we've built what is in our lives by ourselves, then we're not level, and our relationship with Him is not plumb. But as long as He is at the centre, we will continue to be amazed at what He accomplishes in us.