“The problem is that you think you are separate from others.”
Richard Rohr.
We build high walls and lock heavy doors. These are to be fortresses of protection (we are told). Protection of our independence and solutions for our safety – our privacy – our rights – our way of living. They are fortresses built from our egos and will only stand strong through our insecurities.
These high walls and heavy doors will be reinforced with attitudes of arrogance, distrust and fear. We have been conditioned to believe that individual rights come first. Rights created for My Independence, My Privacy, My Best Interest. With this attitude, we sweep all that belongs to us and ONLY us into a ever growing pile – staking claim and standing guard with semi-automatic guns set (that we own as it is our right).
What is the purpose? In the long run what will we really have? These high walls and locked doors create an illusion that we can remain untouched by this world, our world which is now overcome with fear and need. Far be it from us to live by example offering encouragement to those in need through community and compassion. To consider this would require our heavy doors be open and walls pulled apart creating windows and swinging gates.
Dare we think this way of living is truly an option?!! Dare we chose to ignore the stranger approaching our shore, our city, our street, our very door.
We must wake up. These walls will not stand tall forever, the locks will crumble from rust and lack of use. The fortress will fall leaving us to realize that all the lifestyle and protection we believed was our right has ended as a selfish and dangerous dream.
Carrie's Bench 