Tag Archives: Berlin Wall

Tearing down walls

 

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On one of our long walks around Seoul we came across this monolith. We fairly quickly surmised that it was part of the infamous Berlin Wall that was suddenly set up overnight one evening in 1961 and stood as a physical and symbolic barrier dividing East and West Berlin until 1989.

 

A local Korean university student sitting nearby explained to us that this section also represents the division between the once united Korean countries. The freedom decorated side of the wall represents South Korea and the sterile blank other side of the wall represents North Korea. He spoke both simply and sadly about the symbolic and real division of what used to be a united country. Now the division separates not only political entities but families and loved ones.

 

It caused me pause to consider the ‘walls’ we allow to separate us from others in our own families and communities: not just the disagreements on how we see life, political views, religious views, but petty things as well. Someone said something and you took offense – a wall sprung up.  You inadvertently slighted someone and another wall went up. We build walls to defend ourselves from others and to keep others at a distance.  Sin in our life builds walls and strongholds that resist change. Life is too short to build dividing walls. I wonder as you look around you what walls you will see that need to be torn down. Better to build understanding than walls. 

 

We demolish arguments and every pretension (barrier) that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5