On Homebuilding

By: Sam Alexander

So there I was: knees on the ground, in the dark, with shovel and rake, in a rural Minnesota basement. I commented to one of my coworkers that the gravel and floating dust and spotlights made me feel like I was on the moon (like in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey). The site supervisor said they had previously made a wooden beam in the shape of a capital letter “I” (the “I-beam”) to measure the distance from the top of the rocks to the bottom of the wooden beams underpinning the first-floor structure. Perhaps by some sort of natural gravity, I wound up carrying the I-beam the most, measuring all across the basement floor and equalizing the ground so that another volunteer could begin to lay down a layer of Styrofoam panels. It seemed like we were setting the foundation for the foundation—preparing the way for four inches of concrete to be poured on top of our day’s work. 
It was December 12th, 2023, in Farmington, Minnesota. A new moon, it was. Thirty minutes earlier, the sunrise pierced through my driver side window. I hadn’t done work like this in a long time and that morning, in typical fashion, I overdressed, overpacked and overworked myself the night before. Willing my eyelids open and heart pounding, I heaved myself out the door to brave the smooth winter air. This week, I was off from my day job. I was supposed to take a vacation to somewhere warm, but that didn’t work out so well. So instead, I decided to tithe one day of labor to a volunteer homebuilding organization and see if I could learn anything. Staring up at the ceiling fan from my bed that night in a natural ecstasy that surprised me, I realized there were a lot of things floating in and out of my mind. 
If everything can be seen as a miracle like Einstein postulated, then symbolically speaking, I was laying the foundation for a better future for myself, the people around me, the community I was working in, my country, humanity and the world all at once. To be propelled by such a grand vision, one must act on good information and proper understanding. This means to stand beneath the ground floor and personally assess its ability to withstand much weight through careful inspection of the supporting foundation below. Incidentally, would I be wrong to also ponder the setting aside of the “I”, self-discipline over the ego, to work with strangers I may differ from to build something bigger than myself for others? Or, seen from another angle, it is only through the application of the “eye,” the internal sight, that you can develop a reliable foundation for understanding. Of course, it’s also likely not a coincidence that “I” and “eye” are homophones. What a beautiful system of physical symbolism that mirrors a higher intellectual and spiritual process which is all but completely lost in the myopic, marginalized world of today. Like an old book that sits atop a dusty shelf in the back of a library untouched for years and years. My illustration of this metaphor is imperfect, but failing to see the larger symbolism at work here would be an even greater disservice.
It reflects what I will call “analogous energy”. In the newer Karate Kid, Jackie Chan tells Jaden Smith that “Kung Fu lives in everything we do”. Same idea. The level of correspondence here is proper because everything in the Universe is fundamentally energy. And we can imprint our will or imagination onto the Field of Existence around us; and through these mental forces we can drive energy or life in certain directions. There are many who will not like me saying this because of its connotations, but this is technically a form of magic. This is dark territory but good will come from a discussion of it. I take this stuff seriously, so reader discretion is advised. Some occultists define magic as “the Science and Art [of provoking] change in conformity with the will”. This is an extremely broad definition. With this definition, making breakfast would then be considered a form of magic. Accordingly, on its face, just like many other things in our world like money or technology, this philosophy can be applied for good or ill. Jesus would then also be engaged in the supernatural when he drives out legions of demons from the spiritual body of a person into a drove of pigs. One could argue this would be a form of ‘white’ magic. Jesus is causing change to occur in conformity with His will and liberating the volition of the possessed. The method is shrouded, but the result is clear for all to see. Have you ever wondered what Marina Abramovich is up to with that strange “art” of hers? My hypothesis is that she is using her performance art to channel the will in certain ways to condition and generate change in macrocosmic human society or in a specific person or situation. Is this part of the puzzle?
Homebuilding builds more than just homes. It builds communities, fellowship among the volunteers and character. Like in the movie Holes. But instead of youth inmates digging further and further into the ground based on the covetous orders of the camp warden, homebuilding starts from the ground and builds up. There’s some interesting symbolism there. Anyway, you are working with strangers to build something bigger than yourself. A home will hopefully last a lifetime or more. 
These days, the regulars for these projects are retired seniors. After all, they are a demographic long on time and short on things to do. The enduring aspect of this is especially true for them. What a unique and profound opportunity for the everyday citizen to give back to their own communities in such a material and meaningful way as part of their own personal legacy. It serves as a reminder of death and a calling to leave something positive behind for the next generation. When we die, our works are the only thing that perpetuate or imprint our presence into the future for our successors.
Since the organization I volunteered for was Christian-based, it reminded me that Jesus of the Bible was himself referred to as the “carpenter’s son”. Yet, the underlying Greek word used in that passage is “tekton”. Some say this word does translate as “carpenter”, but other scholars still reasonably argue that it in fact translates to something closer to “workman”, “craftsman” or “builder”. I have to admit that it’s difficult for me to turn my nose away from the sense that there could be a bit of a cover-up going on here over this translation in order to conceal a more interconnected picture of what the scriptures are communicating—at times cloaked in metaphor or allegory. At this point, I would like to add that the scientific theory of “plate tectonics” refers to shifts in Earth’s geology—its rocky shell. Tekton is extremely similar to the word tectonics, no? According to encyclopedia.com, “[t]ectonics comes from the Greek word tekton, meaning builder.” This broader translation of tekton as “builder” would imply a more comprehensive knowledge and skillset than just working with one material. It makes more sense to me that someone with the intelligence of Jesus would work with whatever materials were available to him to accomplish a given task or fulfill a need rather than being limited to working with one type of material as a compartmentalized specialist. On many levels, the quality and capabilities of the builder constitutes the locus of meaning; not the raw materials used. It also makes sense to me that Jesus would have been quite familiar with stonemasonry given the natural environment in Nazareth during that time and the customary employment of stone into the contemporary architecture. Under this hypothesis, Jesus’ life illustrates a transition from operative to speculative freemasonry.
What’s even more intriguing is that in the Old Testament, the Messiah is connected to the concept of a “cornerstone” or “chief cornerstone”. Psalms 118: 22-23 seems to make this connection. In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the “chief cornerstone” in Ephesians 2:20. I Peter 2:4-8 compares humans to living stones and discusses “a chief corner stone [sic]”. There are so many references to “the stone which the builders rejected”. It is referenced over and over and over again—even by Jesus himself in Matthew 21:42. This same imagery shows up on the back of the American dollar bill. When combined, these allusions reinforce a pretty significant pattern of symbolism that intertwines with the profession ostensibly ascribed to Jesus before his ministry. 
Similarly, the vocabulary of Jesus suggests that he had a familiarity or background with construction work and frequently used stones or rocks as symbols and features in his parables. Jesus makes a plethora of allusions to construction or building and only two or three references to timber or wood. The references made to wood do not themselves support an ardent predilection for carpentry. Interestingly, although Jesus makes great metaphorical use of agricultural activities, some scholars argue his allusions to finance and construction together are even more numerous and meaningful. 
It is undeniable that Freemasons, as well as some Christians and philosophers, may refer to God as something like “the Grand Architect of the Universe”—once again reiterating a larger pattern of reference and a potentially clearer contextual framework. Is it not a coincidence that the Bible’s central personage is himself a builder or mason by trade? He is the macrocosmic Creator personified—or at least a reflection. That which is above turns out to be like that which is below. Finally, I can’t resist mentioning that some scholars believe Jesus of the Bible was crucified and resurrected at the age of 33. In addition, many capable researchers place their finger on 3 p.m. of Friday, April 3, A.D. 33 as the most likely time for the crucifixion to have transpired. Lots of 3s, just like a triangle, the two-dimensional symbol of the chief cornerstone.
And the most famous degree of Freemasonry being the 33rd degree, and the number of spinal vertebrae also being 33, is most curious to me. These are the signs and numerologies left in the physical building of man. At the end of the New Testament, an angel rolls the tombstone away from Jesus’ tomb concurrent with the resurrection. Is this the Truth, or the spirit of enlightenment, being put to death in the skull (which a tomb represents) and a code that that energy or force can only once again emanate from the skull? Is there any significance to the idea of the kundalini fire rising up the spine, into the skull, and ultimately interacting with the pineal gland at the peak? Is this what we are called to build toward? These are merely guesses. 
 In symmetry with these ruminations, I found an equally important piece of knowledge about the practical skills strengthened through volunteer homebuilding: communication, sociability, attitude, teamwork, intelligence, self-confidence, resourcefulness, common sense, service, leadership and so forth. Many people—especially young people—are missing out on building real things and doing real things that have consequences. Amateur construction teaches you how to accomplish these things with other people who are themselves often not exactly sure how to complete a given task or goal. When lines get blurred, self-reliance, wits and common sense are required to connect the dots and get the job done. We lack these practical skills as a society, and that absence contributes to our collective intellectual atrophy. The above operating system is at odds with that of a compartmentalized factory worker who must frequently check in with the higher-ups in order to proceed with real, meaningful, consequential actions. Kids spend so much time in the artificial world of ideologically rigged classrooms, taking orders from authority figures on what to do and how to do it. Ultimately, it degrades a person’s ability to grasp the big picture, think clearly and take real consequential actions on their own. I hadn’t fully crystallized how deep this conditioning has its roots until I saw it in myself when I finally, after two decades, transitioned from the world of schooling into the workforce. In an economy that confronts a two-front war between a labor market jam-packed with neurochemically calcified automatons on one hand and a sophisticated yet lopsided regulatory regime on the other, where opportunities for real responsibility and consequential action seem so limited, I believe this type of volunteer work can help get the juices flowing and reverse ingrained behaviors and habits. And it’s a door that’s pretty much open to any able-bodied person in America with the ganas to apply themselves. 
These same ideas drive the founding of my website. But instead of building a home, I am building a playground, a temple, a dojo. One where hopefully many people from all walks of life will come to find meaning, connection, self-education or maybe even a handful of sand to take along with them in their journeys when the sun finally wanes beyond the horizon.
Bibliography
Akin, Jimmy. “7 Clues Tell Us *Precisely* When Jesus Died (the Year, Month, Day and Hour Revealed).” National Catholic Register, April 10, 2020. https://www.ncregister.com/blog/7-clues-tell-us-precisely-when-jesus-died-the-year-month-day-and-hour-revealed.
Campbell, Ken. “What was Jesus’ Occupation?” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 48, no. 3 (September 2005): 501-519. Accessed December 24, 2023. https://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/48/48-3/JETS_48-3_501-519.pdf. 
 Monson, Jordan. “My Boss Is a Jewish Construction Worker.” Christianity Today, November 22, 2021. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/december/jewish-construction-worker-jesus-vocation-profession-stone.html. 
“Spine Structure and Function.” Cleveland Clinic, accessed December 24, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/10040-spine-structure-and-function.
“Tectonics.” Cengage, August 18, 2018. https://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/astronomy-and-space-exploration/astronomy-general/tectonics. 
The Companion Bible. Notes and Appendixes by E. W. Bullinger. Kregel Publications, 1999.
“What does Psalm 118:22-23 Mean?” Knowing Jesus, accessed December 22, 2023. https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/psalm-132-8. 
White, Larry. “How Old Was Jesus When He Died?” Bible Study Tools, last updated April 13, 2022. https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/how-old-was-jesus-when-he-died.html. 
*I write this endnote in acknowledgement of a few good friends—some no longer here in the flesh—who contributed to this article with their ideas, research and life’s work, but whom I feel I cannot name at this time. Thank you.