Walls
Last week there was an accident. A car came into our church car park and unfortunately did not break in time and drove into a wall. The wall collapsed and there was some damage done, but no one was injured.
This got me thinking about walls, as you do! You may have heard the phrase, ‘good fences make good neighbours.’ This ancient proverb exists in many different cultures and languages, and nobody is quite sure where it originated.
Anybody who has bought a property needs to know where their boundary is, marking what they are responsible for, and not! Counsellors and Life Coaches talk about ‘boundaries’ to help those who may struggle with feeling over-responsible or taking on too much.
Some fences/walls are good. But others are not. These walls are not physical but internal. They can be erected for many different reasons, for protection, safety or to keep people out. Some may be deliberate, whilst others may have crept up over time.
In the letter to the Ephesians, in the Bible, the Apostle Paul wrote this…
“For he himself (Jesus) is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…”
This sentence comes in the context of Paul saying how Jesus brought Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) together in Christian unity. This was really important for the church in Ephesus as they had become Christians even though they were not Jews.
In other words, Paul said that Jesus came to break down walls to unite people, and not to build walls bringing separation.
This is profound and I think relevant today. If you and I have ‘walls’ in our life, did we build them, and why? Are they good or bad walls?
If Jesus came to destroy walls of hostility, should we not seek to do the same? Let me encourage you to take a moment to reflect on your life. Are there any walls that you have built that need to come down?
Good news, ask Jesus and he can help you with the demolition process!
God bless
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader