“Knocking Down Walls” by Justin March

“Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.” – Socrates

It seems like I am surrounded by a lot of walls lately.  Some of them I am used to and understand their purpose.  The walls that divide the bedrooms in our house provide a place of solitude when the day ends and rest is needed.  The walls that keep the outside separate from the inside protect us from the elements and help us stay safe.  The walls in the shopping mall allow us to understand how each business is different and provide boundaries so we can decide what we want to peruse and what we do not.  Even the walls in the zoos have their purpose as some of God’s creatures are not able to share a habitat or co-exist in the same environment.  These are the walls that make sense in our lives, and the separation they provide is necessary and suitable for the reasons they were built.

But, there are other walls that are not so easy to see in this world.  There are walls we put up to either close others out or keep us secluded.  There are walls that separate races, divide sexes, breed inclusiveness, and promote classes.  And there are walls that make us feel superior to one another as we go through life judging whom is fit to share our spaces.  These are the walls I am struggling with these days, and the separation they provide feels confusing and out of place in God’s mission for our lives.

Many may say I am somewhat of a “social butterfly.”  I have no problem eating at a restaurant by myself, pulling up a barstool at a local brewery, or striking up a conversation with a stranger.  I say hello when I pass someone on the street.  I smile when locking eyes with another and listen when given the chance to share a few words.  And I genuinely enjoy each and every moment God gives me to be out in public and share this world with all of you.  Interaction fills my soul, and it is always a good day when I get the chance to spend time outside the walls of my home.

I do have to say this is becoming more difficult these days.  More walls seem to have been constructed, and I am finding it challenging to reach people.  I am not sure if it has to do with COVID, a lack of leadership, or the fear the media continues to regurgitate, but the response I get to my simple hellos and smiles are a little daunting.  I am finding people to be skeptical and a little standoffish.  A simple conversation turns to people pushing their agendas and screaming their opinions.  And those lovely moments I used to enjoy, have been replaced by a world I do not understand.  A world where the people I meet seem nervous, fearful, and trapped inside the walls they have surrounded themselves with.

So, does that mean we are to give up and push people aside?  Does that mean we should build our own walls so we too can stay secluded and out of touch with everyone else?  I do not believe that is what God is calling us to do.  In fact, in a world that is trembling and fearful of what may happen next, God is asking us to go out and knock down some walls.  He is asking us to continue to say hello, smile, break bread, and have those caring conversations.  He is asking us to take the high road when emotions get tense, and He is asking us to replace words of hatred with love.  He is asking us to erase the lines that divide so we can be inclusive and accepting.  And, He is asking us to find ways to spread his messages of hope and grace in a world that so desperately needs to hear them.

We are being called to knock down walls.  Sometimes, it may just take a simple push, and other times, it may take a bulldozer.  But, no matter the method, it is time to get out and connect.  It is time to remind those we care about how much they mean to us and how important they are.  It is time to spread peace and hope to all we come in contact with.  And, it is time to shepherd the lost and bring them back to the flock.  Light can only find a path if we knock down these walls.  So, if you are bound by anything that is holding you back from fulfilling God’s mission for you life, break those chains, knock down those walls, and escape the prison that keeps your light inside.  This world is searching for answers, and if you are living a life outside the walls, your light may just be the one that brings another to that cross!