Soon after we arrived in Beijing, our friends took us to see the famous Great Wall of China. The Great Wall is an impressive structure, not that it is so tall, but that it is built along the top of mountain ridges and is 5000 miles long. Built by manual labor, it was a monumental feat and is an obvious source of pride for the Chinese people. Even my 9-year-old grandson in Texas knows about The Great Wall and wants to see it.
Look into the history of the wall and it loses some of its greatness. Built by soldiers, convicts, and forced labor, countless people lost their lives, many more were injured or endured unimaginable hardship during its construction. The leaders surely passed the financial burden of this expensive project on to their people. So, this protective wall cost lives and brought misery to many of the people it was built to protect.
The main purpose of the wall was to protect China from their enemies to the north. Though it provided some measure of protection, it was ultimately a failure. Even after the huge sacrifices to build the wall, their enemies eventually succeeded in invading China. The Great Wall apparently wasn’t “great” enough.
There was another “great” project that has a better track record. That project began from the foundations of the World. Though it took many years to complete, the ultimate battle was completed in 33 years. My grandson also knows about that one.
Looking at its’ history makes you appreciate even more how great this project was. Though many were involved, the leader that began this project loved us so much that he sacrificed his only son for us. The victory was made possible when his innocent son agreed to die a cruel death to pay the price to free, we who are guilty from eternal punishment. That project was a complete success, and the protection will last forever. Instead of taking, he gave and instead of adding burdens, he took them away.
The leader in this project is our HEAVENLY FATHER and JESUS died on the cross that we might become sons of GOD.
Wayne Lance (2014) – That’s Good News to Share!