Take down the wall

So far Paul has taken us on a spiritual word journey from the deepest depths to the heavenly places. Today’s passage feels simpler and more familiar territory.

¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— ¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:11-22

Once there were Jews and Gentiles. Separated from each other by a wall of hostility. The new covenant smashes down that wall and creates a single body. No longer strangers but fellow citizens. No longer separated by a wall but part of a building where Christ is the cornerstone. The firm foundation of it all. This was revolutionary when Peter and then Paul preached. Enemies in faith, separated by belief and history, united in Christ. An absolute revolution. No wonder the Christians were stoned and considered enemies of the state.

Let’s wind the clock forward 2000 years and things don’t see much different. Israel, a largely Jewish state, seems permanently locked in conflict with its Palestinian neighbours. It is still religion rather than politics that truly separates people. The Palestinian state is roughly 93% Muslim, 6% Christian and 1% others including the Samaritans. The Israeli residents are 75% Jewish, 18% Muslim, 2% Christian and 5% others. Those that are actually citizens of Israel is less in the Muslim group as there are very strong restrictions on who can become a citizen and who cannot.

We could rewrite those first few verses for today:

Therefore, remember that you who are Palestinians by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “circumcised”— remember that at that time you were separated from each other, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the Old Testament promise, without hope in the world.

Now that is pretty challenging. Do we as Christians support the state of Israel unconditionally because it is supposedly the fulfillment of prophecy or do we side with the Palestinians who had their land, their rights and freedoms stripped away from them by progressively stronger military actions over the 70 years since the inception of the Israeli nation.

Or do we do what this passage calls us to do – tear down the wall that separates the Israeli populace from the Palestinian enclaves? Tear down the wall that stops people from living where their jobs are? Tear down the wall that prevents people from getting the medical help that they need?

We are called to be a tribe of wall destroyers…but so often religion (or at least actions done in its name) is at the root of building walls.

So let’s commit to tearing down the walls today in the name of Christ wherever we encounter them.

The walls of hatred and mistrust between communities and between individuals.

The physical walls in places like Israel and Mexico.

Let’s celebrate the walls that have come down in Berlin and Belfast.

And let us be mindful that every time we use the words “us and them”, we are building a new wall right here in our lives.

Tear down the walls today.