SS Thoughts #30: Move That Fence (2)

I decided to expand on this post, especially since I was asked by a reader to clarify the term ‘fence’ and to differentiate between a fence and a wall. My thoughts:

·      A fence is a barrier that is often temporary, can be looked through, and is fairly easily broken down or removed

·      A wall is often permanent, impenetrable, and not easily breached or removed

I believe it is worthwhile to remember that God Himself established walls, e.g.

§  Not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 1:17)

§  The 10 commandments

§  Calling sin by its right name

§  Health principles

The consequence of trying to break down these walls is evident everywhere.

But an emerging thought is that barriers can be subjective, and also contextualized to countries and cultures—giving rise to difficulties in classification. As brought out in our SS lesson discussions, the issue of relativity in our post-modern culture is a factor for consideration. An example: The Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Gay, Transgender issue is perceived by the world as merely a fence. What should we call it??

Any comments on the whole matter? Any thoughts on breaking down/removing barriers and sharing Christ across all cultures????