The Parable of the Caulk

For the past few weeks at work, my co-workers and I have been busy re-caulking all the bathrooms in all the buildings of Heritage Halls. This isn't as easy as it might seem. In fact, it's the thing that I hate doing most at my job. I despise caulking. It's worse than lights, tub clogs, sink clogs, even toilet clogs. Why? Well, if caulk gets moldy and black, it cannot merely be caulked over, or the mold will simply work its way through the new layer. So in order to truly fix the bad caulk, you have to dig it out--which is a bloody pain in the arse. It requires an assortment of tools: screwdrivers, putty knives, chisels, razor blades . . . anything that will aid in ripping up the black caulk. And it never comes off easily or cleanly. I apologize to the custodial crew who had to clean up after our caulking storm hit.

Well, as I was doing this mind-numbing work for hours on end, I started applying this to my life and repentance. (I know, it's sad. It's proof that I was replacing so much caulk that I started thinking about it way more than is normal.) Surprisingly enough, the application is rather poignant to me.

We, as mere humans, are not perfect. Therefore, we will sin. It's just the way it goes; we can't get around it. When we sin, it's like our caulk is getting moldy. It is our responsibility to dig that nasty caulk out as soon as possible to keep the mold from spreading. And yes, it's hard. We're going to have to hack and scrape and cut that caulk to get it out, probably scraping and bruising ourselves in the process. But if we don't attack that spot quickly, before we know it that mold will have spread to the rest of the caulk and it will require much, much more time and energy to replace it.

We also can't just cover it up with a new bead of caulk, hiding the damage that has been done. The caulk will look pretty for a little while, but a new bead doesn't fix the problem, it only delays the inevitable. Eventually the disgusting grossness will eat through the new layer and show itself anew.

Bottom line, no matter how much you hate recaulking (and how disgusting it can be), it is a necessary evil. Repentance is the only way to get rid of the sin; otherwise it will just get blacker and blacker and more difficult to remove.