The Rock From Which You Were Hewn

Isaiah 51:1-6

Thus says the Lord:
"Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,
    you that seek the LORD.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
    and to the quarry from which you were dug."

Toward the end of our summer vacation, we spent three days at a friend's vacation home on Lake L.B.J. in the Texas Hill Country between Llano and Marble Falls.  Just outside Marble Falls is the largest granite quarry in the United States, situated in a gigantic 866 foot granite dome that covers 180 acres.  The state historical marker, pictured here, tells part of the story of why this particular quarry should be considered very significant to every true Texan:

This mountain, like all granite formations, was once melted rock, similar to lava. As the molten rock cooled thousands of feet below the earth's surface, it hardend into large crystals of quartz, feldspar, and several dark-colored minerals.

Whenever strength, durability and beauty of finish are required, granite is a favored building stone.

The mountain was part of a grant made to Texas colonist William Slaughter. The site became famous commercially when a dispute arose in the 1880s over the type of stone to be used in the Capitol in Austin.
The issue was settled in 1885 when Governor John Ireland resisted demands to use non-native limestone.

Following this decision, a special track was built to haul the granite to the rail line in Burnet. The stone was generously donated to the state by quarry owners G.W. Lacy, N.I. Norton, and W.H. Westfall.

Today, granite from the quarry here is shipped to all parts
of Texas, the U.S. and foreign countries for use in monuments, shafts, jetties, and buildings. It has been used in the Galveston Sea Wall and in new state office buildings near the Capitol in Austin. (1979) 

This beautiful granite has been used in markers for the graves
of Texas heroes, such as the one for George Campbell
Childress, co-author of the Texas Declaration of Independence, located in the Trinity Episcopal Cemetery in Galveston, and even for the markers in our Columbarium at the Church. 

This
particular granite is very distinctive.  Once you've made the connection with the quarry near Marble Falls, you will recognize it when you see it.

So, when we see these stones at work, we might wonder from whence they were hewn.  Now we know.  There is an epiphany in them.

And what about us?  What is the source of rock-solid faith in God that makes a sound foundation for our lives?  The Prophet Isaiah says that when we pursue righteousness, we should remember Abraham, whose trust in God was considered righteousness.  St. Peter, whom Jesus called "Rock," referred to Jesus and his followers as "living stones."  This means that we are not our own source!  Our life and our goodness are not our own doing.  Our trust in God is not even possible without God's help.  The foundation of our faith has its origins in the quarry God has provided.