Predicazioni/1Pietro/L'unico progetto che verrà a compimento/English version
The only project that will ever come to fruition
We live in a time when many "construction sites" promise to build the future: political projects, technological visions, ideologies that present themselves as inevitable. But which edifice will truly endure? In this message, starting from 1 Peter 2:2-10, we are invited to shift our gaze: not to what man builds, but to what God is building in Christ. Not as spectators, but as "living stones," participants. An invitation to rediscover our identity, our foundation, and our destiny.
Empire Builders
Do you remember the image of those elderly gentlemen, hands clasped behind their backs and gazes fixed over the fence, spending their mornings observing a busy construction site? They remain there, still and silent, scrutinizing every movement of the bulldozers and every pour of concrete, as if making sure every stone is laid with the care that only experience can recognize. They are the involuntary custodians of practical knowledge, spectators of an evolution that transforms piles of raw material into a finished structure, ready to capture that magical moment when the abstract project finally begins to become reality.
However, projects do not always come to fruition. I think of how recurrent throughout history are the attempts of various agencies (political, financial, ideological and religious) to plan and operate (and more often plot) to create empires of domination over the entire world. The most recent is that of Palantir , an American technology company founded among others by the entrepreneur Peter Thiel, specialized in the analysis of large quantities of data for governments and large organizations [1]; its platforms, born also with the initial support of environments linked to national security, are designed to monitor, predict and manage complex phenomena, but they raise questions and well-founded concerns. It imagines a world based on technology and controlled by it. In this case too, it is also convinced that it is a question of “unstoppable” and “safe” progress, “the best” for the world (in reality their profits and ambitions) in a similar way to how certain political ideologies were considered in the last century. Many observers have characterized this vision as a form of "technofascism," as it fuses mass surveillance, state power, and hierarchical ideology into a model that marginalizes democratic debate.
As history itself demonstrates, however, such illusory "imperial ambitions" all fail miserably after a certain time—not before also causing untold damage. Humanity thus seems never to learn and "stumbles" over the reality that God's Word summarizes when it states: "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain" (Psalm 127:1). Only one structure will stand, and that is God's eternal purposes, centered in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
Of course, the mere mention of this will elicit ironic smiles of commiseration from some, as if it were pathetic naivety... Let us consider, however, what the apostle Peter says when, in his first epistle contained in the Bible, he speaks of builders and building stones. Let us listen.
The biblical text
“As you come to him, to the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it is written in Scripture: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ To you therefore who believe, he is precious, but to those who do not believe, the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. For they stumble at the word by disobedience, and were even appointed thereto. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. You who once were not a people, but are now the people of God. you who had not received mercy, but have now received mercy” (1 Peter 2:2-10).
These words are part of a letter the apostle Peter addressed to believers scattered throughout the regions of Asia Minor, called to live their faith in a context of pressure and marginalization. For this very reason, he invites them not to be defined by what they see around them, but to recognize themselves for what they truly are: the people that God himself is building on Christ, the only foundation that will never fail.
1. From sterile curiosity to spiritual hunger (vv. 2-3)
In the opening verses, Peter uses a simple yet powerful image: that of a newborn baby longing for milk. This is not a casual interest or superficial curiosity, but a vital, ongoing, irrepressible need. Thus, says the apostle, should be the believer's relationship with "pure spiritual milk," that is, with the Word of God that nourishes, grows, and sustains new life in Christ. Here, an implicit contrast immediately emerges with the attitude of a spectator: one can observe a construction site with interest, one can even discuss it, but that doesn't mean one participates in the construction. Likewise, one can be intrigued by the things of God, frequent religious circles, listen, and evaluate, yet remain inwardly detached. Peter, instead, speaks of a desire that engages the whole person and whose purpose is real growth: "that through it you may grow."
This spiritual hunger arises from an experience: "if you have truly tasted that the Lord is good." It is not an externally imposed duty, but the consequence of having encountered God's grace through embracing the Gospel. Those who have "tasted" the Lord's goodness in Christ Jesus are no longer content with a Christianity observed only from afar; they feel the need to return to that source, to be nourished, to deepen their understanding. Here lies a crucial question for each of us: is our relationship with God still marked by this living desire, or has it been reduced to a form of religious curiosity, intermittent and lacking in growth? For only those who are truly nourished by the Word move from mere observers to "living stones" in the edifice God is building.
2. Christ is the foundation, we are the construction (vv. 4-5)
At the center of these verses is Christ, described by Peter as the "living stone." The image is paradoxical and, for this very reason, profoundly significant: a stone, by its nature, is inert; yet Christ is alive, because he is the Risen One, the one who possesses life within himself and communicates it. However, this stone is also "rejected by men": human judgment, marked by sin and spiritual blindness, has rejected the very thing God had chosen as its foundation. Here, the failure of the human "builders" is revealed once again: they claim to build, but reject the essential stone. God, however, reverses this judgment and declares Christ "chosen and precious." What the world rejects, God places at the center of his plan.
This rejection is not merely a historical fact—limited to the crucifixion—but an attitude that has spanned the centuries. Christ is rejected because he does not correspond to human expectations: he does not offer immediate power, he does not bow to the logic of success, he does not affirm human autonomy, but radically calls it into question. He unmasks sin, calls for repentance, and demands total trust. For this reason, he is perceived as inconvenient, even dangerous. Thus, even today, we prefer to build religious, moral, or cultural systems that can be controlled, rather than submit to a living stone that, precisely because it is alive, cannot be manipulated. Rejecting Christ, therefore, is not merely ignorance: it is a choice that reveals the heart.
But the crucial point is that, by drawing close to Him, we too become "living stones." It's not simply a matter of imitating Christ, but of being united with Him and integrated into a greater work: "you are being built into a spiritual house." The Christian is not an isolated, self-sufficient individual, but part of an organic construction that God himself is building. And this construction has a specific purpose: to be "a holy priesthood," that is, a people who live in the presence of God and offer "spiritual sacrifices" pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ. Not spectators, therefore, but active participants; not scattered building stones, but elements integrated into a living edifice. Here we understand the radical difference between human projects, which produce dead structures, and the work of God, which gives life to a people who live, grow, and serve.
3. The destiny decided by the relationship with Christ (vv. 6-8)
In verses 6-8, Peter further elaborates on the meaning of Christ as the rock, explicitly recalling the Old Testament Scriptures. He speaks of a "cornerstone, chosen and precious," placed by God himself as a sure foundation: whoever believes in Him "will not be put to shame," will not be disappointed, will not see the very thing on which they have built their lives crumble. But alongside this promise looms a stark and inevitable contrast: the same rock that for some is the foundation of salvation, for others becomes "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." There is no neutral position with respect to Christ. His presence divides, reveals, and unmasks.
When Peter speaks of those who stumble "by being disobedient," he isn't simply referring to moral misconduct, but to a deeper rejection: that of the Word of God, which calls to faith. In this sense, disobedience is the opposite of what the apostle Paul calls "the obedience of faith" (see, for example, Romans 1:5 and Romans 16:26), that is, a trusting and submissive response to the Gospel. Disbelief is not a neutral or purely intellectual act: it is a form of disobedience, because it rejects what God has revealed and offered in Christ. Thus, those who do not accept the Word don't simply remain static, but stumble over it: the very thing given for salvation becomes an occasion of stumble.
On the one hand, then, there are those who believe and recognize in Christ what God has declared: the precious stone on which to build one's entire existence. On the other, there are those who, rejecting this Word, end up clashing with it. This is a powerful image: it is not God who is unstable, but rather human beings who, by rejecting the foundation, lose stability. Here we also understand the root of the failure of every human construction: we attempt to build without Christ, or even against Him, and for this reason every project is destined, sooner or later, to collapse. The question, then, is not whether we are building, but on whom we are building.
4. From non-people to people, from darkness to light (vv. 9-10)
In verses 9-10, the discourse reaches its climax, revealing not only the foundation on which God builds, but also what He is building: a people. Peter uses meaningful expressions from the Old Testament—"chosen generation," "royal priesthood," "holy nation," "God's own people"—to describe the identity of believers in Christ. What once typically belonged to Israel is now applied to the community of the redeemed, without distinction, as the fulfillment of God's plan. These are not honorific titles, but a concrete reality: God has chosen, separated, and redeemed a people to belong to him and live in his presence. In a world that assigns fragile and changeable identities, here we find a stable identity, received and not constructed.
Precisely for this reason, any form of spiritual individualism that seeks to live the faith in isolation is profoundly at odds with this text. The very image used by Peter—one people, one home, one priesthood—precludes the idea of a solitary and self-sufficient Christianity. Certainly, there may be exceptional situations—hostile contexts, forced isolation, the real lack of a healthy community—in which a believer finds himself temporarily alone. But these are, precisely, exceptions, not the norm. Where possible, Christians are called to seek, build, and maintain concrete communion with other believers. Not doing so, by choice or convenience, seriously impoverishes one's spiritual life and contradicts the very nature of the work God is accomplishing.
This identity has a specific purpose: "that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." God's building is not silent, but bears witness; the people of God do not exist for themselves, but to make visible the grace that has transformed them. Peter reinforces this message with a stark and profoundly consoling contrast: "You who once were not a people, but are now the people of God; you who had not received mercy, but have now received mercy ." It is the passage from non-belonging to belonging, from loss to redemption, from darkness to light. Here is accomplished what no human project can ever achieve: not simply organizing people, but regenerating them, uniting them, and giving them a new identity and a new mission.
Conclusion
Let us return to that initial image: the construction sites, the projects, the great buildings that promise solidity and a future. We have seen that there is only one edifice that truly stands firm, the one God builds in Christ. But the question, at this point, is no longer theoretical, it is personal: on which edifice are you betting your life? Are you fascinated by great human projects—political, technological, cultural—or have you recognized that without God every construction is destined, sooner or later, to collapse?
Peter then spoke to us about a desire that makes us grow. It's not enough to observe, it's not enough to be curious: we need to nourish ourselves. Is your faith a simple religious curiosity, or is it a genuine hunger for the Word of God? Have you "tasted" that the Lord is good enough to desire to nourish yourself again and again with Him, or are you content to remain on the sidelines, a spectator of something that doesn't truly engage you?
We've also seen that Christ is the living stone, and that only by drawing close to Him do we become living stones, part of a building. What is your relationship with Christ? Is he truly the foundation upon which you're building, or has he remained a secondary element, perhaps respected but not decisive? And again: are you living as an isolated stone, or as part of that spiritual house that God is building with others?
Finally, Peter reminded us who we are in Christ: a people, called from darkness to light, the object of mercy and bearer of testimony. Do you identify with this identity? Do you live as part of God's people, aware of having been called and transformed, or do you continue to seek your identity and value elsewhere? Because, ultimately, it's not just about observing a construction site, but about being part of the edifice that God himself is building for eternity.
Theologian Herman Bavinck writes in his Reformed Dogmatics: "Grace does not destroy nature, but restores it and brings it to its fulfillment." Thus, Bavinck clarifies that God's work in Christ does not destroy what we are as creatures, but redeems it and brings it to its true destination. Sin has deformed human nature, not eliminated it; therefore, grace does not intervene to replace it with something completely foreign, but to restore it from within. Becoming "the people of God" is not an artificial superstructure, but the recovery and fulfillment of our original vocation: to be a community that lives before God, in his light, to proclaim his glory. In other words, the edifice that God builds is not opposed to human reality, but is its full realization.
Let us pray. Lord our God, we thank you that you have not left us scattered and without hope, but in Christ you have called us from darkness to your marvelous light. We confess that too often we have remained spectators, curious but unengaged, interested but untransformed. Forgive us and renew in us a true hunger for your Word, a sincere desire to nourish ourselves with Christ. May He truly be our foundation, the rock upon which we build all things, and preserve us from the illusion of building without Him. Teach us to live not as isolated stones, but as part of your people, united with one another, to offer you a life pleasing to you. And make us faithful witnesses of your grace, so that, with our words and our lives, we may proclaim your virtues to a world still walking in darkness. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our living stone and our Lord. Amen.
Paolo Castellina April 23, 2026.
Note
[1] Palantir officially released its new “22-Point Manifesto” on April 20, 2026. This document, also titled “The Technological Republic,” marks an ideological break with traditional Silicon Valley and outlines the company's vision for Western technological sovereignty. Its programmatic principles focus on purportedly defending Western democratic values through technology, emphasizing the importance of AI-based defense systems (such as the AIP platform) that ensure human oversight and accountability. Key points include: (1) Embedded System Centrality: Ethics must not only concern individual AI models, but the entire operating system and context of use. (2) Security and Civil Liberties: A commitment to preserving privacy and fundamental freedoms while using data for national and commercial security purposes. (3) Human Oversight: Mandatory control mechanisms (such as “Ontology checkpoints”) to ensure critical decisions remain under human responsibility. See Palantir Technologies, AI Ethics & Principles, available at Palantir AI Ethics and Palantir Privacy and Civil Liberties. For the latest 2026 manifesto, see the Principles section on the official website www.palantir.com .