Giant Drill Bits and Hearts of Stone

Posted on February 11, 2012 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

A giant drill machine breaks through the final section of the NEAT Gotthard Base Tunnel

Good Day, God!

Apparently sometime in 2016 a 35 mile train tunnel through the Alps will be open. Actually, it will be two tunnels “joined” every 1,066 feet. And trains can swap tunnels at two “multifunction stations (MFS)”

That makes me feel a bit less claustrophobic about the idea of traveling through those tunnels, God. Although, if the trains are traveling at 155 miles per hour they are only in the tunnel for 15 minutes or so.

The MFS Faido of Gotthard Base Tunnel; photo by Cooper.ch

I had seen the photo of the drill in an email and it had lodged itself in my mind. The size is certainly impressive. And I can grasp what’s happening. Civil engineering seems easier to follow than lots of other endeavors.

But, part of the fascination is fear- based. I don’t like caverns and tunnels and being away from the bright blue sky. I can feel my lungs “constricting,” God.

Then, too, looking at the huge drill bit brought up thoughts of our Hearts of Stone. Ezekiel 36:26 says: “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” (New Living Translation.)

Sigh. Our human hearts do Stone Up over the years. We want so badly to protect ourselves. And turning our hearts into stone seems like a good idea. But, it isolates us. Disconnects us. Hmm. If our future is bound up in Connections . . . then maybe we should pay more attention to what serves to Disconnect.

Humanly speaking, it would take the equivalent of that huge drill bit to break through our Hearts of Stone. But, with You, God, all things are possible. Please, give each of us “a tender, responsive heart.”