“No Fences” by Justin March

“Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.  Never be wise in your own sight.” –Romans 12:16

I was on a Zoom meeting, Tuesday night, and one of the gentlemen was talking about how he missed growing up in the Midwest.  He remembered living in a neighborhood where nobody had fences, and he felt that brought the community closer together.  Without the six-foot wooden, metal, or plastic fortresses to surround the property, he said it made your home feel more inviting and your neighbors felt more welcome to come over and chat.  But now, he resides in a suburban neighborhood, where fences are required, and he couldn’t help but think these structures create a disconnect amongst the families that call this place home.

A couple of days later I was thumbing through my collection of vinyl records, and wouldn’t you know it, I came across a copy of the Garth Brooks album “No Fences.”  It made me wonder if there was some sort of correlation between the conversation we had Tuesday night and the sudden finding of this recording, or if this was merely one of those coincidences that just seems to occur at times.

There are weeks I struggle to find the inspirational words God is trying to put in my head.  Then, there are weeks, this one, where He makes sure the message appears multiple times.  I could easily discount these occurrences as happenstance, but I do not believe God wants me to see it that way.  I believe there is a message in all of this, and I believe it revolves around the subject matter of “No Fences.”

As I stand on my back deck and look at all the fences our neighborhood requires, it does feel like I am isolated from my community.  Those six-foot barriers do not allow me to converse with my neighbors, and they definitely do not give me the perspective needed to see how others live.  The fences create silos, and if we are not motivated to get out and converse with our neighbors, it becomes easy to stay distant and exist in our own little world.

Okay, God, I get it.  Fences have separated our relationships with our neighbors and have made it difficult to commune with one another and build relationships.  But what’s that?  These are not the only “fences” that we have created.  You are just using this as a euphemism to try to soften the subject about all the “fences” we have established in your world?

My friends, God is asking us to tear down the “fences.”  Whether it be racism, sexism, political differences, or any other trivial matter that keeps us apart, He wants us to eradicate them from our lives so we can live in unity together.  He wants us to replace our hatred with love, he wants us to abolish the social classes that keep us apart, and he wants us to be in community and take care of one another.  That is not easy to do if we are going to put up all these “fences” in our lives.

As you travel along your journey this week, think about all the “fences” you have created.  Are they necessary to keep you and your family safe, or are they excuses to keep yourself isolated?  God has a mission for all of us.  Some of the parts are unique, but I do believe that taking care of one another is unanimous in them all.  I pray you come to realize where these “fences” have been built in your life, and I pray you find the courage to take them down.  And whenever you come across a barrier or feel not worthy of the task, just remember the title of that Garth Brooks album and promise yourself there will be “No Fences.”