Are You a Wall Builder or Bridge Builder??????

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This is interesting that this thread appears today. I was just reading an article that was inspired by something Eisenhower said in 1961 in one of his speeches. He said that the world must beware of becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate. It, instead, must become a confederation of mutual respect and trust. The weakest must come to the conference table with the strongest.

A writer then commented on the speech and compared the thought with Jesus' ways in the first century. He said it was interesting that Eisenhower used the terms "coming to the table". Jesus sat at tables with thieves, prostitutes and publicans. This was a direct message against all the sects and groups of his day that were actually based on division and hatred.

Every group and sect, of the first century, be it religious or political, was based upon division. Their DIFFERENCES were highlighted and made the foundation of each sect. And the differences were exploited -- Jews versus Gentiles -- Palestinian Jews versus Jews of the Diaspora -- Aramaic speakers versus Greek speakers -- Priests vs. scholars -- violent revolutionaries vs. accommodationists. And each sect carved out thier own niche in ideology and depended upon a concept of prophetic doom to fall on the others in order to vindicate their stand.

Jesus attacked this entire divisive method by inviting everyone to his table! This threatened the authority all around Him that was based upon division. He would not accomodate passively, nor choose violent opposition. His Kingdom was not of this world and never will be. Instead of emphasizing the differences, He proposed a truth and appealed to all people of every other sect and category to understand it, inviting them ALL!

Amongst denominations today, we see the trend of emphasizing the differences to the point of heaven or hell rewards. Instead of proposing truths, religious groups attack each others' beliefs and claim their own belief is was saves a person while they throw mud on the other beliefs.

So instead of basing a new group on emphasizing the differences and contrasting what WE believe while we explicitly throw down what THEY believe, thereby making a new wall in the world, why not preach TRUTH without mudslinging???? Why not share truth without contrasting it with so-and-so's group "who preaches this other thing"????

Why not build bridges instead of walls?

Walls need to be held onto for SOME reasons, as Felicity said, though.