By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

You are looking at a photo I took while walking along the outer walls of the medieval fortified city of Saint-Malo, located on the French coast of the English channel.  It is a beautiful city indeed, one that works hard to preserve its historical aspects.  In fact, our bus was not allowed on the ancient narrow streets and had to unload and remain just outside the city.  We then walked into town dragging our suitcases with us.

Our evening walks around the walls of the city afforded us some beautiful scenic views, the walls themselves reminding us of times long past.  The walls were built around this city and many like it to provide protection from enemy attacks.  

I wonder how often we, still today, surround ourselves with walls, attempting to keep out anyone and anything.  Way too many times through the covid pandemic of the past couple of years, we have walled ourselves up away from others.  We’ve hidden behind the walls of our homes, venturing out only when we deemed it ‘safe.’  But one thing about walls is that they not only keep you inside, they also keep others out.  And which is more dangerous?  More sad?

The walls of our homes and our churches provide comfort to God’s people while we gather to live and worship, but let’s be careful that we don’t use our walls as an excuse to keep others out.  Certainly we must protect our own in times of peril, but there must remain points of access.  Even the completely walled city of Saint-Malo had great large doors through which we walked to gain entrance.  Even the great walled city of Heaven itself has gates through which one must pass.  Jesus is the only door.
This week, don’t hide behind your walls.  Instead, walk atop them, taking in the scenery, and allowing access to those who desperately need to be a part of something greater – the family of God.

Just a thought.