Stones

As you enter the gate at Erie Beach Campground these days, you quickly encounter a somewhat unusual structure. A small sculpture has been erected there with a plaque that reads, “FOR ALL YOU WHO COME AND GO FROM THIS PLACE, MAY YOU SHARE GOD’S BLESSING OF LOVE, HOPE AND PEACE.”

Created by Scott Scherer, the sculpture is known simply as the “Blessing Stone.” This eye-catching piece has the appearance of blue, living, water bubbling and swirling out of a rock. Its not a bad image for the refreshment we have come to expect from our camping experiences.

The idea of erecting such a marker was the brainchild of Kelly Knight. Kelly had been seen a marker placed by Camp Quality at another campground and been touched by it. She shares that she felt her life was blessed by the presence of this marker. Out of that experience, the idea of having a blessing stone at Erie Beach was born.

Like most ideas, this one took shape over time. Kelly says she had the thought that the stone needed to come from the lake, which is such a big part of the Erie Beach experience. Eventually an appropriate stone was found. In truth, it is not a stone at all, but a piece of old cement with a most intriguing history. It once formed part of the foundation of the old auditorium!

If you are not familiar with Erie Beach’s 100+ years of history, the old auditorium once stood down beside the lake. Here, previous generations of Erie Beach campers gathered to sing, pray, and worship. After years of the pounding waves eroded the shoreline, however, the structure finally had to be removed to prevent it washing away. The foundation was broken up and used to form part of a barrier to prevent further erosion and encroachment by the lake. This particular piece of concrete lay almost forgotten, with the waves lapping against it for many years, until it was recovered to become part of the blessings stone.

When I heard that story, I couldn’t help but think of the question asked in Ezekiel 37:3; “Mortal, can these bones live?” This question is followed by the prophecy, given in the Divine voice in 37:5; “I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live!” Of course, the question that occurred to me was a paraphrase of this text, which was, “Can these stones live?” And obviously, in the mind of the visionary and the hand of the artist, the answer is yes!

Posted by Carman