The Walls are Coming Down
There really aren’t any boundaries, anymore.
I wonder if there ever were. There are physical ones, of course. Geographical, political, economic, defensive, protective. But they’re not much good as demarcation, nor are they especially effective at restricting the movement of people, goods, armies, or ideas. They’re more a plea or a hope than a reality.
I think there used to be boundaries, in our heads at least.
In our minds. That’s the key. Barriers rely on our consent and good will to function.
Of late, most of us simply refuse to consent. Consequently, most boundaries are becoming increasingly porous. And that’s distressing to some. I’m sure the reader won’t have too much trouble bringing relevant examples to mind. Some people really, really believe in borders.
I wonder if the reason so many feel threatened is that they are trying desperately to justify their desire for the comfort—not merely the safety—of walls and of good locks on stout doors.
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Remember the days when we weren’t allowed to do so many things we wanted to? No?
Well I do. My childhood wasn’t an especially strict one, but I was denied permission to do many of the fun, though likely fatal, things I wanted to.
For some, these prohibitions aren’t for the safety of the body, but of the soul. Religion keeps us from having to decide our course of action. It tells us what to do in any given situation. That’s why so many cling to it, I think. freedom—true freedom—is for some, a terrifying thing to contemplate.
What do you mean, decide for myself? Aren’t you going to tell me what’s forbidden? What if I don’t like my choices?
What if I do?
As a child, I always chafed at the restrictions of bedtime and washing up and especially going to school.
Don’t mistake me. I loved and still love to learn. I just resented being refused permission to do it in my own time and my own way.
Then there was Jesus, to whom my soul was entrusted when I was only a few days old. I believed fervently and tried to reconcile my experiences and reason with the truth as it was revealed by Authority.
I didn’t realize I’d been sold into spiritual slavery until I was out of it. I cannot blame anyone for this: like the guards in Nazi ghettos, the slavers are themselves slaves.
But I digress.
