What is a HooDoo?

A hoodoo is a kind of rock formation that is found all around the world.  They are usually in the form of pillars of various shapes and sizes.  No other place on earth are hoodoos more plentiful than in the northern section of Bryce Canyon, Utah.  The rock in Bryce Canyon is predominantly orange in color making the landscape appear exceptionally striking. 

Geologists tell us that hoodoos form when large deposits of soft clay and sand like sediment are covered with a harder more durable material like limestone or basalt.  When cracks eventually form in the upper durable layer, water seeps in and begins to erode the softer foundational layers.  Eventually, if conditions are right, you end up with hoodoo formations.

There is a lesson that we can learn from the hoodoo and it is this: "Foundations are Important!"  Hoodoos do not have good foundations --- they erode away rather quickly and eventually crumble and disappear.  They are beautiful to look at, but eventually the beauty is gone because the foundation fails.  Jesus talked about the importance of a good foundation when it comes to our lives.  Listen to what He has to say:

“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.  But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.   When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”  Matthew 7:24-27

The foundation we build our life upon is critical!  There are a lot of materials that we can use.  Wealth, good looks, popularity, your position at work, your home, good health, and many more.  None of these things are bad in and of themselves, but when the torrents and flood waters of life come rushing in, these kinds of things will not provide a good foundation for our life -- they can all be swept away.  The foundation that Jesus is talking about is the solid truth of God's Word, the Bible.  Believing  God's truth and following Jesus is the way to build a firm foundation that will stand the test of time in this life and in the life to come. 

​Craig Jentink