No Walls In Heaven

 

We are surrounded by fences in the neighborhood where we live.    The neighbors across the street have a fence in their back yard.   When new neighbors moved in next door, they soon installed a fence in their back yard.  A couple of months ago, our neighbors on the other side of our house also installed a fence along with “No trespassing” signs on the fence.    Perhaps you have heard the saying “Good fences make good neighbors”.      Perhaps our neighbors see their fences as a  good way for us to become good neighbors.       I see merit in fences when you have a young child or when you have a dog.  Fences can be a good safety tool for young children, pets, and for neighbors.

Walls are similar to fences.   Like fences, walls keep people or creatures in and keep others out.   As I write this, they continue to build a wall along our U.S. border with Mexico in hopes of keeping persons from illegally entering into the United States.   About 10 years ago, Ann and I travelled to the U.S. border in Arizona and saw the wall there with Mexico on the other side.    Some of you reading this are old enough to remember that November day in 1989 when the Berlin Wall (that separated the city into East Berlin and West Berlin) was torn down.        Back in my seminary days, one of my seminary friends told me one day:    “Randy Wall,  I have some bad news for you.  I saw it on a church sign.   The sign said ‘No Walls in Heaven.’”        No walls in heaven is a troublesome thought when your last name is Wall like myself.  

We read something similar in the book of Ephesians.   In Ephesians 2: 13-15 we read: 

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,

While neighbors build their walls or fences to keep people out or to keep children or pets in and while a wall  is built along our U.S. border,   Christ Jesus comes to do something different:  to tear down walls or fences between people and between persons and God.   Christ Jesus wants there to not only be no walls in heaven, but nowhere else!     Have a joy-filled week. Happy Thanksgiving to each of you.--   Pastor Randy Wall    

 

PRAYER

            Mighty and merciful God, your mercies are new everyday.   We thank you for your grace-filled love that breaks down the walls that humans build between one another for our sinfulness that creates a wall with you.   Forgive us, and bring us closer to you.  Amen.