Building Our Lives With God: Lessons From Lego Series

Building Our Lives with God: Lessons from Lego

Introduction

Today, I want to take you on a unique journey into the world of Lego. These colourful building blocks have been a source of creativity and joy for generations.

Lego, the beloved Danish toy company known for its iconic plastic bricks, has an interesting history and some remarkable facts. Here are a few:

1. Origins in Denmark

Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen, Lego started as a small carpentry workshop in Billund, Denmark. Originally, it produced wooden toys before switching to plastic in the late 1940s.

The name LEGO comes from the Danish phrase "leg godt," which means "play well." Ironically, it also means "I put together" in Latin.

2. First Plastic Bricks

Lego began producing plastic interlocking bricks in 1949. However, the modern Lego brick design was patented on 28 January 1958. The design has remained largely unchanged since then, ensuring compatibility between Lego sets across generations.

3. Global Popularity

Over 600 billion Lego bricks have been produced since the company’s inception. On average, there are 86 Lego bricks for every person on Earth.

Lego is so popular that it's estimated seven Lego sets are sold every second around the world.

Lego is popular, but it is estimated that every second, 50 Bibles are sold or distributed worldwide.

4. Minifigures

Lego introduced its iconic Minifigures in 1978, and since then, they have produced over 8 billion of these small figures, making them one of the most populous "people" in the world!

Currently there are approximately 2.4 billion Christians in the world. This makes Christianity the largest religion by population.

Estimating the total number of Christians who have ever lived is extremely challenging.

This is due to a number of factors, including:

Historical records: Many early Christian communities did not keep detailed records of their membership.

Geographical spread: Christianity has spread to all corners of the globe, making it difficult to track its growth and decline in different regions.

Conversion and apostasy: People have converted to and from Christianity throughout its history, making it difficult to determine the exact number of adherents at any given time.

Despite these challenges, some scholars have attempted to estimate the total number of Christians who have ever lived. One estimate suggests that there have been approximately 10 billion Christians throughout history. However, this is a rough estimate, and the actual number could be higher.

So while lego have produced over 8 billion lego people, faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour has created more Christians.

5. Lego in Space

Lego has made it to space! In 2011, NASA sent Lego kits to the International Space Station to see how they would behave in microgravity. These experiments were part of an educational programme.

Buzz Aldrin was the second person to walk on the Moon. He is a church elder and has written extensively about his faith in Jesus. Then there is John Glenn, Jim Lovell, Mark Kelly and Mae Jemison who among many others, have demonstrated that faith and science can coexist, and that it's possible to be both a devout Christian and a successful astronaut.

6. Lego Theme Parks

The first Legoland theme park opened in 1968 in Billund, Denmark, near the company's headquarters. Since then, Legoland theme parks have opened in multiple countries, attracting millions of visitors each year.

Based on available data and estimates, billions of people attend Christian churches each year - both regular attendees and those who attend on special occasions.

These facts highlight the rich history, global impact, and cultural significance of Lego, making it far more than just a simple toy.

But beyond the fun and creativity, Lego can teach us profound spiritual lessons about our relationship with God. So, let's dive into what Lego can teach us about God and our walk of faith.

Point 1: The Foundation Matters

Matthew 7:24-25 (NLT) - "Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock."

When building with Lego, the foundation is crucial. If the base is not stable, the entire structure can easily fall apart. Similarly, our lives need a strong foundation.

In this passage, Jesus teaches about the importance of building our lives on the solid foundation of His words. Just as a house built on rock stands firm against storms, a life built on Christ's teachings remains steadfast in trials.

The Greek word for "foundation" in this context is "themelios," meaning something put down, i.e., a substructure. Building our lives on Jesus involves hearing and doing His words. It's not enough to just listen; we must apply His teachings daily.