I have been thinking about walls for a while now; this past weekend brought those thoughts to the surface.

Walls are multi-purpose things—they keep people out, they keep people in, they are defensive in nature, they provide protection, they define boundaries, and they define limits.  As we drove up to New York this past weekend, I observed the walls along the freeways, constructed to keep the freeway noise from invading residential districts.  I have always wondered how effective they are—do they really keep noise out or do they just soften and muffle it?

There are visible walls everywhere, and just like the ones we can see, invisible walls have invaded our lives.   Sadly, just as the walls lining the freeway muffle sound, so many of the walls erected in our hearts prevent us from hearing or understanding what others are saying to us, both with words and actions.  I have found that when we surrender our lives to Jesus and the Holy Spirit is at work in our hearts, he brings down the walls of division, the areas or judgment, the attitudes of self-righteousness and superiority.

Paul talks about a wall in the book of Ephesians—in that instance he was referring to the division between Jews and Gentiles, law and grace people.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility (Eph. 2:13-16).

I understand the value of the many expressions of the body of Christ with our unique calling and ministries—however, too often we create divisions by our laws and commandments, our doctrines that create hostility …so that separations occur rather than being united by the blood of Jesus.  Too often we see our doctrines on baptism, Sabbath, on pre-trib, mid-trib, or post trib interpretations, tithing, on the gifts of the Holy Spirit as more crucial than the redeeming, uniting, precious blood of the Lamb!  What are we afraid will happen if we let go of the things that divide us and focus on Jesus?  What would happen if we left the doctrine to the Spirit of truth, who is tasked to guide us into all the truth (John 16:13)?  What would happen if we actually did what the Bible instructs us to do, to live by faith?  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16, 17).

There are other walls of division, walls of racial prejudice, walls of stereotypes, walls of socio-economic pre-judgment, and age discrimination….  God spoke to me a bit about that this past weekend.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise (Galatians 3:28, 29).

God put together a very diverse team of people to go to the city—what a blessing!  Being a grandma and the oldest person in the group was an interesting position for me.  That is ok!  I recognize that young people and those who are older are a great compliment for each other—the youth offer energy and vitality, those of us who have been around for a few more years bring faith through experience and Bible knowledge to the table (though many young people know their Bibles well!).

We served breakfast to street people, low-income, elderly, and parents with small children—all who struggle to put a meal on their tables.  We gave blankets and water to many who did not speak English.  We talked to and prayed with well-educated people who no longer have jobs and hope had slipped away.  God spoke to my heart and reminded me not to look on outward appearances or at the things that held them in bondage; rather, these people were either already my brothers or sisters in Christ, or potential family members.  The most exciting, outrageous realization was that the kingdom of God could be spread very powerfully through these weak and broken people, because when we are weak, He shows Himself to be strong (2 Cor. 12:10).

My confession is that there are walls in me, built over time—I do not like it!  The only wall I want to exist in my life is the one between my spirit and my sinful nature, to muffle the voices of my flesh so that I can hear God’s Holy Spirit speaking clearly to me—I give him permission to tear down all of the other walls!