By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Have you ever given much thought to church steeples?  By that, I mean have you ever wondered why church buildings even have steeples?  What purpose, if any, is there of a steeple on top of a church building?  Is there some meaning behind them?

As I ramble and wonder about things, this was one of them.  I remember that each church I have ever been a part of had a steeple of some kind.  Some stood taller than others.  Nearly all had a cross on them.  This particular photo is of a cross-adorned steeple sitting high atop one of our local churches.  Simple, but elegant.  Plain, but pretty.  And identifiable!

The main reason for any church building to incorporate a steeple into its architecture is in order to identify the building as a place of worship.  A cross or any other religious symbol on the steeple helps identify the church as being part of the Christian faith.  The steeple does have a purpose.

We wear crosses in our jewelry.  We wear religious symbols on our clothing.  We might as well have a cross or steeple on top of our head.  Why?  Because we are, as Christians, the temple of the Lord.  We are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and we should be identifiable as such!  People should be able to differentiate us from the rest of the world.

Now, literally, we don’t have to be physically marked with a cross to be considered a Christian.  The building doesn’t have to have a steeple to be a house of worship.  But my ever-rambling point is to ask ourselves the question — Am I identifiable in this world as a Christian?  I don’t have to be perfect, just be humble and loving and forgiving.  Sometimes plain and simple is best.

Steeples sometimes fall.  They sometimes cause leaks in the roofing.  And often times, they are targets of lightning strikes.  And yet we keep putting them up.

You may experience all of those problems along the way too – falls, causing problems where you stand, and perhaps even attracting a powerful punch from above – but keep standing tall, above it all, and represent the One Who saw fit to place you there!  Be recognizable as a child of the King this week!  You WILL make a difference.

Just a thought.