Cracks in our facade

Relatives of two (likely) victims of the tragic Champlain condominium collapse in Miami stated that their loved ones mentioned hearing a loud cracking sound the night before the building crumbled. A 2018 inspection of the complex revealed several serious structural issues that were supposedly scheduled to be remedied in 2021.. a full three years after the report was issued.

I actually read through the report and while I couldn’t find a “smoking gun,” it seemed to me that the building was in a state of serious disrepair. I’m not sure I would have been comfortable sitting on one of those balconies if the floor above me had cracks and chunks of stucco missing as documented by the engineering firm. (See below) As seen in the photos, many homeowners covered up the unsightly cracks on their balcony floors by installing tile.. Outta sight, outta mind- right?

Even the tile began to crack as a result of separation occurring underneath it.

You know me..

I read about real-world events and apply what I learn to life, in this case studying the consequences of failing to address our own, individual, structural cracks and failures.

Let me ask you:

If you hired an inspection team to assess your life, what would their report reveal?

Would the areas of identified weakness surprise you.. or are you well aware of them?

Are you missing/ignoring/covering up self defeating habits or problems?

Are the points of concern mostly “cosmetic” or are there foundational issues that could lead to eventual or sudden collapse?

Are you postponing ‘fixes?’

If it all came tumbling down tomorrow, would those closest to you say they heard cracking sounds before you imploded?

“Listen to your life” What do you hear?

This is a question Lisa Harper asks in her 100 day devotional called “Life.” I guess you could say it’s a call to introspection, honest review and most importantly a plan to remedy any cracks that could jeopardize the integrity of your being.

Several neighbors mentioned that construction was going on near the doomed building and that it could be “felt” inside their condos. Could it be that outside vibrations caused, or exacerbated, the deficiencies deep within? It’s certainly worth mentioning that tremors coming from outside forces can be enough to shake the framework that holds us together.

But let’s not forget that Roman bridges and European cathedrals still stand. We know how to build right, to survive storms and wars..we just need to commit to tried and true, high standards and submit to honest and frequent self examination and upkeep.

I have no doubt we will learn from this horrible catastrophe. Final reports may take years to prepare, but if we’re open to it, we can extract some important life lessons from this terrible event.. today.