The Idolatry of Building Walls

My prayerful response to Donald Trump's wall building proposal, Pope Francis' response, and the kerfuffle hereafter.

We love walls.  Walls look cool.  China built a huge wall 2200 years ago to protect it from invaders, and now is a fun place to visit.  Pretty reasonable to build such a wall, don't you think?

Then a huge wall was built in Germany, right through Berlin in 1961.  Was this a good wall?  No, we say, because it divided families, made people feel sad, angry.  But if we talk to the Eastern side, it was great, keeping out an invading army of heretical Western values.  The Eastern powers thought it was a good wall.  No, says President Reagan.  He commands, "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"  And we cheered him on, because we hated this wall. 

Around Jerusalem today there is a wall.  Huge thing.  I've been to it myself.  For people inside Jerusalem they love it.  They think it's cool.  It keeps out all those awful Palestinian terrorists, Hamas and whatnot, and makes people living inside the city feel safe.  It's a nice clean concrete wall that resembles a prison or fortress, and it kind of is.  It keeps those invading forces out.  

But if you travel to the other side of the wall, it's covered in graffiti showing images of the wall crumbling down, or images of civilians killed in the struggle.  It has separated families (and it's a painful experience, see here), and if you have a job inside Jerusalem, good luck keeping it.  On this side the wall, it makes people feel sad, angry.  This wall is not cool.

Anyone feel like playing some Pink Floyd?

To be technical, we already have a lot of walls
built between Mexico and the States.  This one 
is in Tijuana

So Mr. Donald Trump wants to build a wall, a great big wall along the Mexico border.  Why?  Because America is being invaded, with all kinds of bad stuff.  Plus, with so many scared people here, a wall would provide a psychological boost.  Walls make us feel safe.  Walls look cool.  But, what if you live in Mexico and work in the States?  What if you have family that lives on both sides of the wall?  How would such a wall affect them?  Now I don't mean in a literal sense, how about in the heart?  And what of the women and children who are running away from gangs, drugs, sex slavery, hunger, murder, all that bad stuff we want to keep out ourselves?  

But NO you say.  It's only practical that we should beef up our border security.  It's sensible.  And what if bad people sneak in with the teens from Honduras, or bad people sneak in with families from Syria.  Nope, that's what the wall is for.  We feel kind of bad for you, but really, we have to look after our own first.  Sorry.

Jesus Driving Out the Money Changers by Scarsellino, 1585.
Jesus is tearing down the wall of greed inside his Father's house

If that's what you feel, if that's what sounds and feels sensible to you and that's how it's going to be, okay then.  Just know this, SECURITY IS NOT A CHRISTIAN VIRTUE.  Jesus didn't go about building walls, he tore them down.  Walls can create institutions, and institutions inherently tend to look inward.  That makes ripe soil to grow vanity, selfishness, and idolatry.  Those Pharisees that Jesus gave such a hard time; they're wall builders (Matthew 23: 29-36, Luke 11:39).  When Jesus' disciples started to think about wall building (Luke 9: 28-36), he shot them down.  He soon commanded his disciples go into the villages and town to heal the sick and proclaim the good news... without the safety of walls, roofs, and even without the large posse of the twelve (Mark 6: 6-13).  

You see, walls are not just security measures (whether they work or not, tunnels continue to be the ancient foil of walls).  Walls send a message to those on the other side; you are not welcome.  We're staying right here, and you can't come in!  They're great for building fortresses and prisons, but they're a lousy way to build the church, the Kingdom of God, if that's what you are interested in building.  

So here comes the retorts from many church going peoples; now now, we aren't keeping anyone out, we just want to be safe, be sensible, we feel bad, but you know...  You know what, I'm freaking tired of hearing the double talk, because that's what it is.  There is no interest in the concerns of others with this logic, except in forgettable platitudes.  Best to save your breath and not speak a lie.  Your need to feel safe comes first.  If that is what you put first, how can you claim that Jesus is first in your life?  Nope, he's second, and it shows in ugly, hateful, ignorant, and cheap rhetoric.  I often hear a followup of "we can't afford to," or "we don't have the space, money, etc."  My reply; "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21)."  Also where is your faith that God will provide?  There's that fear and insecurity again.  Safety is the god you worship, the god whom you pledge your allegiance, the god whom you give your sacrifices of time and income.  If you want to own this, by all means, do so.  But don't you dare pervert the Gospel by claiming to follow it while living in such hypocrisy.

  

Vatican City.  Boy it sure looks closed off (sarcastic tone).
Give me a break and stop reading Sean Hannity!

Pope Francis spoke correctly when he said, "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel."  (FYI, he was asked specifically by a reporter quoting Mr. Trump's proposal.  Pope Francis said he would give Mr Trump the benefit of the doubt, "if he actually said these things."  Please note how the media works)  Of course social media has countered that Vatican City is surrounded by walls.  Technically true, but note it has a huge open entrance that I've walked through with no difficulty (much of the wall was built in the 9th century).  Also, if you've followed Pope Francis for more than 5 minutes, you can see he lives and ministers by his words, so the hypocrite line is worthless here (source).

The Good Samaritan by Rembrandt, 1630

Gospel living doesn't lead you to safety, it'll take it from you.  It's a call to be vulnerable, and to care for the vulnerable, and to be vulnerable with the vulnerable.  Security is power, and Gospel living has no place for such a false idol.  The priest and Levite played it safe, and we revile them.  The Samaritan became vulnerable to care for the vulnerable, and we applaud him (Luke 10: 25-37).  Say what?  There's bandits about, it's a dangerous road remember?  And those pesky purification laws still stand.  It didn't stop the Samaritan in this tale Jesus told, so why do we think of doing less?  The path to holiness, to be perfected in God's grace is found outside the walls.  Time to tear down the walls, including the ones we blatantly build around our own hearts.