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                I know it maybe childish but that old child rhyme is the epitaph of life: “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never hurt me”. In my thoughts lately it would seem that all of mankind has wrestled with this rhyme from the beginning of time till now.
 

                First; let us look at “sticks”. Man’s first tools were made out of sticks. He built his houses, his means of transportation (wagons) and his armaments (spears and arrows) from wood. Yes, sticks for heating ourselves with fire and even our money. All the beginning of this is from wood. From the Ark of Noah to our scrolls of knowledge, even the first Bible to now is made of paper. All this worked for mankind, but it just seemed not to last that long.
 

                So out of the depths of our creativity we started to use a more lasting form of material “Stones”. The work was a lot harder but the results were that the tools and houses lasted longer. Mankind kept refining the processes and started to make glass from sand and iron from ore. Now the buildings could reach to the sky and the transportation could move faster with trains, planes and automobiles. We have all worked hard breaking our bones trying to make things better and last longer, but things, no matter how modern, also get old. Our fascination with sticks and stones is endless, but they endure only a short time in contrast to eternity. 
 

                 But GOD looked at our handy work and said to Himself, “I will show them something eternal out of the same material that they use” and so He chose two stones. He looked at Golgotha and said “This is my first stone”. Chosen before the time of Jesus, it was the place of Isaac’s replacement with the ram of redemption (and so all the nation of Israel). Then the second stone of His choice was His only Son, the same stone that followed Moses in the wilderness. GOD said: “I shall use these two stones.” Then with two sticks He fashioned a cross. Our GOD has showed us His creativity in our redemption and at the same time made something that will last for all time. All praise, glory and power be to the Lamb who was slain.
 

                Although, sticks and stones may break my bones, the name of the LORD will never hurt me. I stand as one created person among many who are eternally thankful and who praise GOD for His glorious work that is finished. One day we will lay a crown, fashioned of stone (gold) at His feet and see first-hand what sticks and stones can accomplish in the hand of the Master Creator.