Personal Borders
Posted by Richard Harris | | Posted On Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 7:47 PM
As I travel the border I have passed many international bridges. I have stood in the markets and looked across the river with the ability to throw a rock to the other side. I have stood and watched people as they cross over in both car and on foot.
Let’s talk reality for a second, then ask ourselves a question, then finally apply it:
Today I sit 80 miles north of San Fernando where a bus filled with 59 men women and children were kidnapped, killed and buried. They simple went missing. Last week I was in a town where just a few miles from where I was staying Mexican pirates killed a man while on his jet ski. Just across the Mexican border is Juarez; a very dangerous place where women in particular are not safe and where gunmen have taken shots a children’s birthday parties, chaos reigns.
The government is unable to control the chaos, many of the police and government is corrupt or undermanned by the heavily armed cartels.
I have enjoyed the towns I have visited, mostly the small ones and felt very safe for much of my travels. As a matter of fact some of the towns I have visited are statistically some of the safest towns in America.
For just a moment let us take politics out of the picture; you’re not conservative or liberal, you’re not Republican or Democrat you are just a creation of God with real feelings, real families and honest emotions. By the way I do understand the implications of a border that is not secure. I deal with it on a daily bases in both Dallas and down south, but that is not the subject of the day.
Imagine you are a father in Mexico and you fear for not only your life but for the life of your family. You can’t let your children out of your site and even to put your family on a bus is a risk. You do not have police you can trust and if you do they can’t overcome the violence and crime that surrounds you. Life is hopeless, fearful, stressful, chaotic and desperate. The present is scary and there is no real hope for future change.
What would be your response? Would you say to yourself I will wait it out, hoping for the country to get its act together? Would you simply say that is just the way it is and let it go?
Or would you do whatever it took to take care of your family?
Though most who read this are on the safe side of the International Bridge; all of us have to make a somewhat similar decision about our spiritual life.
We each have to deal with our spiritual borders.
On one side of the spiritual border is chaos and fear of the unknown. We ask what will happen after we die and ask ourselves am I prepared for that moment. There is hopelessness on one side of the border. People live out their lives with no hope for the future and a negative outlook about the days ahead of them. On that side of the spiritual border the past sins haunt us and hold us in spiritual chains. It is a helpless and hopeless way of life.
That is of course the wrong side of the border; there is another.
There is a side of the spiritual border where unconditional love and hope lives. Not a life of perfection but of perfect love from a heavenly Father. There is a peace that passes all understanding, one not attained on our own. On this side of the border people live out their days not worrying about past sins; they have been forgiven and now look forward to a heavenly hope. This world still has its issues but they pale in comparison to the future hope. On this side of the border there is purpose to our life. There is compassion for others as we experience grace in our own lives.
This of course is the right side of the border.
The real question is yours and yours alone to make:
What side of the Spiritual Border will you live?
It seems like an easy question but we complicate it with our pride and self reliance. Unlike crossing the man made border crossing the spiritual one is safe and easy. You need only believe. This is not about religion or denominations; this is about the most important decision anyone will ever make.
As I stand at the physical border my heart goes out to those who have to make difficult decisions. As I stand on the safe side of the spiritual border my heart goes out even more to those living without an eternal hope.
May we be thankful God has given us a passport to the other side that will never expire; Jesus Christ. He has bridged the gap that we might live on the right side; we simply need to cross the river.
Scripture: John 5:24, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”
Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you that you love us enough to provide for us though we are sinners a way to eternal life and peace in this one. Guide us to not only cross over to your side but to live our life in a way that shows other your love. We ask these things in the name of Christ, Amen.
