Walls are built to hold people in or to keep people out. Some are built to restrain and others built to protect. Some walls are built for hurt and others are built for hope.
The Berlin wall was a wall against freedom. There were 27 miles of concrete and barbed wire. Eventually 96 miles of fortification encircled free Berlin. The wall was continuously changing: It was made thicker, giving the guards more time to catch or kill anyone trying to escape. Height was added denying those in captivity to even see their families, friends, and loved ones; There were 65 miles of anti-vehicle trenches and 302 watchtowers; Landmines were strategically placed to make it suicidal to attempt an escape. History tells us that 197 people lost their lives trying to escape Berlin and over a 1000 people lost their lives along the entire border. Countless others were injured or imprisoned and forgotten for their attempts to escape. The wall fell on November 9, 1989, bringing freedom and hope for thousands.
Jesus came to tear down walls, bringing freedom and hope. As His disciples, children of God, we are to have His heart, mind, disposition and behavior. We, like Jesus, are to ignore, destroy, and certainly never erect, such walls.
The wall of color and national origin
Do we believe what we sing? “Of one the Lord has made the race, Through one has come the fall; Where sin has gone must go His grace: The Gospel is for all.” Do we believe in the foundational documents of our nation that “all men were created equal?” Even the casual Bible student must conclude that Jesus meant for the Gospel to be for all colors and national origins. “God so loved the world” is an obvious reference to all men everywhere. The Great Commission was “into all the world,” “to every creature,” “to all nations.” When the message was first preached in Acts two, Jews responded and were forgiven, Acts 8.14-17 saw Samaritans being baptized in the name of Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit. In Acts 8.26-39, a black Ethiopian confessed Jesus and was baptized. And then in chapter ten, Gentile believers were baptized and accepted into the church family. Peter’s statement in Acts 10.34-35 should remove any wall of racism completely and forever. “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Paul makes a significant statement in Ephesians 2.12-14, “Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…” May God help us drop our prejudices, bigotry, (both black and white) and see all men created in God’s image.