Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Newport, OR
Matthew 7:24-25 GNT
So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock.
Underneath the floating staircase of my Dad’s house, was a waterfall created by the plethora of rocks collected on the farm. I wished it could run 24/7, but due to an elusive leak, Dad only filled up the little pond, and ran the waterfall during special celebrations. This has fueled a lifelong desire to also have a waterfall (or maybe just a water fountain) in my house. But what fueled my dad to decide to incorporate this feature in his house? I wish I had thought to ask him. I wonder, was he influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, especially Fallingwater?
Architect and engineer, Frank Lloyd Wright, was the father of organic architecture. Meaning, he harmoniously incorporated the natural world into human habitations. In 1935, Architect Wright was tasked to build a house near a waterfall. According to Khan Academy, “from the very beginning, the architect rejected a site that presented a conventional view of the waterfall; instead, he audaciously offered to make the house part of it, stating that the ‘visit to the waterfall in the woods stays with me and a domicile takes shape in my mind to the music of the stream.’” Fallingwater was completed in 1937 and is suspended over a waterfall in the Bear Run river of Pennsylvania. It features a staircase to the river, natural materials like stone and wood, stone floors, large windows that frame nature and provide views of the waterfall, terraces that are fixed to the natural rock of the falls, and canopy walkways. There is even a pre-existing tree built into the home.
But what happens to a house built over a waterfall when it rains, storms, or floods? To date, the worst flooding happened in 1956. Statuary was damaged and debris and logs filled the plunge pool, but the house stood firm. An intricate design of cantilevers, parapets, steel beams, and cables keep it firmly secured to the rock foundation. Sound familiar? Jesus told us that the wise man who builds on a rock foundation would be secure and He is that rock foundation. With an intricate design of love, faith, and hope, we too can stay firmly secured to Him. Now, that isn’t to say there haven’t been any repairs at Fallingwater since 1937! There indeed have been repairs to ensure the strength and safety of the home especially the suspended portions. I think Jesus would agree that a wise man also continuously checks his connections to the Rock. He knows we are stronger in Him when we do and can endure our floods, and storms. There might be a bit of damage, but our life will remain whole and secure.
