Fenced-off Enclosures

A couple of miles south of us is ‘Africa Alive’. Their publicity material boasts:

‘’Go nose to nose with our towering giraffes, and wave to Duma, our cheetah who’s faster than your kids racing to the ice cream stand!… don’t miss the chance to meet Reggie, the friendliest lion at the zoo!’ …From amazing animal encounters to all-day family fun. Africa Alive promises a full day of laughter, adventure, and unforgettable memories!

What they don’t say – I guess it’s assumed(!) – is that the animals are in fenced-off enclosures. ‘Close-up encounters’ aren’t too close! Fences mark the boundary between animals and people, keeping animals in and people out, protecting both.

Some people live their lives in fenced-off enclosures. They put up clear boundaries. They want to keep others out – they think they’re protecting themselves…

The church has always been good at putting up fences. Clear boundaries of separation as make clear who’s inside and who’s outside the fence. What you believe and how you behave determines who’s in the Church, and who’s an outsider,

There may be protection for those inside the fence, some may want to get in but find it difficult, some are pleased to stay outside, and those who try to sit on the fence find it exceedingly uncomfortable…

John McGinley uses this analogy: ‘If you are a farmer with a three acre ranch you can build a fence to keep your cattle in and other animals out.’

He proposes an alternative to fenced-off enclosures: ‘If you are a rancher with a huge amount of land you are not able to build fences around your whole property. So instead of building fences you dig wells. So the animals keep returning to their water source.’

He describes church that’s defined not by fences but the water source. It’s a ‘Jesus-centred community’. ‘Though some people are close to the centre and others are far from it everyone is welcome and anyone is potentially part of the community.’

He’s given me something to muse on…