Good Fences Make Good Neighbors. by Heidi Jakoby

Please go to http://breadforyourjourney.blogspot.com/ to read, listen and reflect on the poem, song and gospel chosen for Nov. 12.

As we lisented to the words of Robert Frost the phase "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors" resonated for me as it was put to me in High School in the form of a question for the debate team for the year, "Do good fences make Good Neighbors?" and for the entire debate season we had to be able to argue both sides of this question.  With last week being the anniversary of the Berlin wall coming down, it has been interesteing to think about that wall coming down and the walls being built in the United States between the US and Mexico and those being built between Israel and Palestine ( check out this link to learn more about Peace Not Walls, campaign for peace http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Peace-Not-Walls.aspx )

Also, in the reading form Mark Jesus talks about how the temple will be desctroyed. If you look at ruins of ancient cultures we all know that nothing lasts forever. Walls and fences will not stand forever, they too will come down.  As we look at our individual lives what walls do you have in your life? What are you walling in ore walling out?  What walls do you need to break down in order to live your best life?

In the song from the Newsboys they talk about the secrets we keep that may be preventing us from really knowing love or truly knowing how wonderful life can be.  What secrets are you not facing?  What are you afraid to share with the world?

One cannot look at the reading from Mark and not reflect on the end of the world.  As you may know by now on Friday the new movie 2012 came out and was #1 at the box office.  Why do we enjoy these apocolyptic movies?  What do they offer us?  This movie is based on the belief held by some that the world will end on Dec. 21, 2012 and this was concluded from the ancient Mayan Calendar.  If you knew when your life would end would you live each day differently?  Would you go on a trip?  Would you stop working?  Would you spend more time with your family? Martin Luther when asked what he would do if the world would end tomorrow, "I would plant a tree today." When I think about Luther's statement I know that the best is yet to come and that when my life ends I will be with God so it is all good and I get great comfort from my faith. Where do you get your comfort each day?

I look foward to your comments and thoughts on these reflections.