Walls

Walls

I’ve been hearing a lot about walls lately. Walls, barriers, fences, obstructions are the hot ticket item on the political and social scene. Who would have thought walls would become the obsession of the nation. I remember a poem of Robert Frost about fences and if they make good neighbors. His caution was to be careful of what we fence in and what we fence out.

Walls have historical significance. There is the Great Wall of China, an architectural wonder of ancient times. This 1300-mile edifice was built to keep invading bands of nomads out of imperial China. How about Hadrian’s Wall, the 73-mile Roman built wall that kept out the ancient Britons.

In recent history there is the Berlin Wall. This was a guarded concrete barrier 96 miles long that divided an East and West Germany from 1961 to 1989. I remember that historical event when President Reagan, standing in view of the wall, challenged Mr. Gorbachev to tear down that wall!

There are many more man-made barriers that are now forgotten history. But there is one wall that predates all of the above. It is a wall that is seldom mentioned in the annals of human history. It is recorded in the Bible, a book not often quoted in the sorted affairs of human endeavors.

“The Messiah has made things up between us so that we’re now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance…Then he started over. Instead on continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.”

Humankind is in desperate need of a fresh start; one that can only come with the help of the wise Master Builder. The fundamental issue is hearts not walls. It’s the man-made walls in the heart that need to be torn down so that there can be a fresh start for a world in need of forgiveness and acceptance.

Shacks

Shacks

As a kid, one of my summer past times was to build forts. My brother and I would find a secluded place and build. Our first fort was made out of sumac. Sumac is a large leaf plant that grows just about everywhere in Minnesota. Its main characteristics are large green leaves that turn red in the fall and its sticky, smelly sap.

A few summers later we built our first tree fort across the street from out home. We took discarded lumber from a building site; procured a saw, nails and ladder from our garage. About ten feet up the oak tree, we built a platform then walls and finally a roof. A perfect hideout where we could escape from home, smoke cigarettes and preview certain magazines.

The problem was the fort was unsafe. It was unstable; wet when it rained and unfit for human habitation. It wasn’t a fort; it was a shack. Discarded tar paper and an old canvas tarp couldn’t keep us dry. Looking back, it was the first sign that neither of us were destined for the construction business.

Our dad taught us that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing right. It was a good thing that he never visited our dilapidated fort in the oak tree. We didn’t forget the wise words of our father. We haven’t forgotten the good times in the fort.

Every time I read the opening verse of Psalms 127, I think about the fort we built. Funny how the mind attaches itself to specific images. Maybe that’s why the Bible still speaks to the heart of humankind. The first verse of the psalm in The Message goes like this: “If God doesn’t build the house, the builders only build shacks.”

Over the years I have built a lot of shacks. The kind of shacks that come from my ideas and not God’s. The kind of shacks that were duct taped together because I wanted my way. Shacks that did not stand the test of time. Some went down in flames and others fell down under the pressure of my strong will. A graveyard of shacks. Hopefully I have learned my lesson.

The Lord is a wise Master Builder!

Questions

Questions

I was raised in a culture where children were to be seen not heard. My natural inquisitiveness was often met with an adult scowl or worse. My impetuousness was not appreciated in adult company. Were it not for my grandmother who had a soft heart for meeting my need to ask questions, my early years would have been painful.

My school years were not much different. Education by nuns did not foster an inquisitive mind. Strict obedience and silence were keys to survival. Not that I was very good at it, but it did frustrate my desire to inquire. My seminary education about the same. A classical scholastic education focused more on memorization than questions. It seemed that life was dictated by the adage “ours is not to reason why; ours is but to do and die.”

Living in the real world forced me not only to ask questions but pursue honest answers. I am fascinated where one simple question will lead. When I began to question my church and schooling, I had no idea where to find answers. Little by little I discovered a whole new world. It all began by asking questions and seeking answers.

I didn’t know that it was the Lord who was encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone and start asking adult questions about life. Uncomfortable as it was, the answers were leading in a direction I would never have guessed. Gradually my world grew larger and my questions more specific. The who, what, when, where and how brought focus and meaning to my life. It all began with the willingness to ask questions.

It is this Bible verse from the Book of Proverbs that encourages me to keep asking those life-giving questions. “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try and figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume you know it all.”

Got any good questions today? Ask the Lord!

Chinny Chin Chin

Chinney Chin Chin

Remember the children’s story of the three little pigs who were hounded by the big bad wolf. Each little pig built a house: one of straw, another of sticks and the third of bricks. The wolf said to each “little pig, little pig let me come in.” Each pig responds “No, not by the hair of my chinney chin chin.” Then the wolf said, “I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in.” He blew down the straw and stick house, ate two pigs but not one who built with brick.

Not long ago I met a lady who was recovering from a rather serious surgery. Her healing was progressing rapidly. When I asked how she was doing she responded that the surgery went well but she felt like a failure. I asked why and she said she didn’t trust God enough. Her friends and family were praying for her, but she was fearful and doubting God for her healing.

 I knew exacting what she was talking about. When I feel out of control, my only hope is for the Lord to take charge and walk me safely through it. I don’t like   handing the scalpel, the steering wheel, or the decision to another. Yielding is foreign territory for a control freak. The Bible says that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I suggested to the guilt-ridden lady that we turn the focus from failure to thanksgiving. I asked if I could pray with her and in doing so, I could actually see her countenance change. In my experience giving thanks to the Lord is the remedy for everything that ails me: fear, unbelief, guilt, shame and failure. Try it, you will like it.

The big bad wolf is always wanting to steal our joy and confidence in God. Listen to what Jesus says: “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like the smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit but nothing moved the house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them in your life, you are a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When the storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”

So much for the big, bad wolf!