“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established” – Proverbs 24:3. This man knows more about building earthen walls than I could ever imagine knowing. I suspect he could tell by feel alone when the texture is right, when the consistency is what he wants it to be. He knows how long it will take to dry, and the limits of his material for height and bearing weight. As a man and a craftsman he reflects the image of the Creator God. I think that’s beautiful.
HANDMADE
BUILDING EARTHEN WALLS BY HAND IN WEST AFRICAI am often intrigued and sometimes amazed at the specialized skills, methods and techniques used for all manner of things in other parts of the world. When I saw a craftsman shaping earthen walls with his hands, I had to get a closer look.
As it turns out, earthen walls are pretty awesome at combatting both heat and the humidity – two things that West Africa has in abundance. The clay is a thermal regulator, keeping things cool during the day and warm at night. Building with this material also makes for a low carbon footprint. It’s readily available, locally sourced and natural.
That lump of stuff the craftsman is holding has been put together with purpose, blending just the right amount of this and just the right amount of that. It’s a recipe that varies from place to place but has been used around the world from antiquity. In fact, there is evidence of sun-dried mud bricks being used as early as 7000 BC in Jericho.
“But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand. – Isaiah 64:8.
Bit by bit, material is pressed together and smoothed into shape. It’s not a particularly fast process and will take days to dry, but once complete, a durable earth structure can withstand the most severe weather of the region. On their own, each handful of earth is really just a lump of clay. But when formed together with other lumps there is purpose and strength.
The Kingdom of God is advancing in West Africa. A local congregation is outgrowing their existing church building. Rather than remove the old building, the walls of a new, larger church building are being constructed around it while the old is still in use!! How about that?!
From homes to churches, storage to stables, mud walled structures are a part of the history and tradition of the region. Though in a sense most homes are “handmade” it seems to me these structures take that to another level.
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