"Wall It Off"

One of the most striking scenes of the Middle East is the Separation Barrier between Israel and Palestine. This wall separates Israeli Proper from what is known as the West Bank. It is four times as long as the Berlin Wall and in places it stretches twice as high. It was built to maintain control, power, and order. It was built to keep the Palestinians out and to create a safe haven for what Israel believes to be their rightful land.


In all five countries we stayed in we saw one thing that remained consistent from city to city – walls. As a matter of fact, the only thing left standing after centuries and even millenniums in some places were walls. That’s right, the remains we got to examine were the leftovers of somebody’s attempt to separate themselves from another group. In my opinion, the Middle East looks like an ancient, giant, strategic game of RISK.

What is our infatuation with keeping others out? Some months ago I wrote a blog on exocentricity. I said all humans are born with a fundamental lack and we, because of our humanity, can’t quench that lack – only God can. We, therefore, seek alternative means of fulfillment in things and people. This generates friendships and enemies. We see in others what we don’t want and we cast them away before they affect and infect us. Anthropologists argue civilization was started with this mindset.

“I am either just like you or different from you. You can either join our camp or be our enemy.”

I write about this today because this mindset has yet to go away. It has rather infiltrated the political systems of denominational life in America.

Last year the Georgia Baptist Convention booted out FBC Decatur from the state convention because Julie Pennington-Russell is FBC’s senior pastor. The GBC doesn’t want female’s to be senior pastors and they stripped their resources from churches that have one.

For the past three days the Southern Baptist Convention has met in Louisville, Kentucky at their annual meeting. On their agenda was the discussion of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Broadway has active homosexual members and because of this they were kicked out of the SBC. This means they are no longer allowed to give or receive support or resources to / from the SBC. Broadway was convicted of having in their bylaws a statement of being a church that is open and affirming to gays and lesbians. Article III of the SBC Constitution denounces this action. The problem with this scene is Broadway does not and has not ever made a formal statement about homosexuality.

These two examples are sad realities that show me we are still interested in building walls. I wonder what it would look like if both sides spent more time talking instead of working diligently to silence and shadow the opponent? Or maybe that’s the problem. Maybe dialogue has happened and there is no way in Hades the wall builders will ever concede their convictions and there is no interest in any further dialogue?

Whatever the case may be – my generation (Y – Generation) is being groomed to lead a world in which walls continue to stand. I wonder who will be bold enough to knock them down. I wonder who will be brave enough to live peacefully in disagreement. I wonder when our generation will shout loud enough for the Xers to hear us say we are tired of fighting and casting people away for being different or because we fear what we don’t understand. I wonder when the day will come when the Y Generation exposes the evil being done when walls are built by showing how communities can live together even in disagreement.