Volume 33 No. 25
July 6, 2008
A Towering Faith
William LeBaron Jenney reached new heights in architecture. He’s
considered “the father of the modern skyscraper.”
Though the story probably isn’t true, legend says Jenney’s
architectural epiphany came when he got angry at his noisy parrot and
slammed the bird’s steel cage repeatedly with a book. When the cage
didn’t break, the designer supposedly thought of constructing buildings
out of steel, instead of conventional bricks and mortar which were so
heavy they limited buildings to six or seven stories.
Regardless, when Jenney designed the Home Insurance Building in
Chicago during 1883, he incorporated a strong inner skeleton of steel to
support the building from the inside. Since steel was lighter and could
carry more weight than brick, the outer walls didn’t have to be thick
and heavy. The new material also meant the building could be much
higher, without collapsing under its own weight.
“Jenney had perceived the advantages of a building whose exterior
wall becomes a mere curtain or covering that encloses the building but
does not support it,” says George Douglas in Skyscrapers: A Social
History in America. “All the support is provided by the interior
framing... in a way, one might say this was a new kind of building that
had no wall, only a skin.”
Since elevators had recently been invented, people could get to the
upper floors quickly and safely. So the Home Insurance Building was
built ten storeys high at a time when Chicago land prices were insanely
high. Even in 1890, an acre of prime commercial property there was
worth $900,000. Building up, instead of building out, made a lot of
dollars and sense. That was especially true because the city was still
recovering from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that destroyed one third
of all the city’s buildings in just two days.
Though Jenney’s first skyscraper was nothing much to look at, it was
strong, practical and an inspiration to many architects who came after
him. It was demolished in 1934 but it merely gave way to a brand new ,
much better skyscraper, the Field Building. Today, Jenney’s reputation
still overshadows that of most of his peers.
When it comes to constructing our lives, we can learn a thing or two
from the principles he embraced. After all, Jesus stressed repeatedly
that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. “Everything they do is for
show,” He said of the hypocrites who surrounded him. “They enjoy the
attention they get ... [but] ignore the important things of the law —
justice, mercy and faith.” Pointing to their emphasis on keeping
religious rules, just to get credit and respect, He said, “You try to
look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled
with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matt. 23:5, 7, 23, 28)
Later, Jesus gave all believers access to the Holy Spirit, a part of
God himself who dwells within his people. For us, the best of our
humanity — our talent, intelligence and even our integrity — is a mere
curtain that covers us but does not support us. Our support is provided
by our Interior Framing and prayer is the elevator that takes us
higher. “And now God is building you... into his spiritual temple...
This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you
out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:5,9)
If we want a towering faith that reaches up to God, we have to design
our lives using a spiritual blueprint, relying on the Spirit’s power so
we don’t collapse under the weight of our own failure. Success comes of
building up, not building out into the world and paying a high price
that will never be worth it. Sometimes it’s only amid the ashes of
adversity that we finally learn that lesson.
But a faith that reaches heavenward is strong, practical and an
inspiration to those who come after us. And when we’re done, our
spiritual temple won’t be razed, but raised, into an even more glorious
one.
By Rick Gamble. Published in Cross Current, the weekly newsletter of
the followers of Christ congregation in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.
Reprint at will in not-for-profit publications. To subscribe to this
free weekly article, send a note to Rick at
rgamble@bfree.on.ca