Borders and Walls

Borders And Walls
 

Submitted by Thomas Stidl

         Where does our concept of borders and walls originate?  We pattern our society norms around the Judeo-Christian concepts found in the bible.  When God created the earth, He gave an example with sea and land.  The sea is restricted to the sandy shore by the hand of God.  It is an eternal decree that the water may only proceed up to a certain point (Jeremiah 5:22).  I realize massive storms sometimes break that decree, but to a great extent the decree stands.  Borders and walls are further explained at the tower of Babel where God changed the language of the people so that many nations were formed migrating to different lands.  This required the creation of borders and walls for protection from warring tribes and countries.

         There is nothing wrong with this concept.  Borders should always be enforced as it is in the after-life.  Let’s look at what happens at death.  To begin, there are three places that Catholics believe exist.  They are Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell.  Can a person leave Hell and enter Heaven?  The answer is absolutely no.  There is a huge wall around Heaven from biblical teachings.  There is also a huge gorge between Heaven and Hell.  Jesus taught this in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.  A human soul from heaven cannot enter hell to ease the suffering there.  A human soul cannot escape from hell and enter heaven due to the deep gorge and high walls surrounding heaven.  So how does one proceed to enter heaven from purgatory?  One must pass through the Sheep gate.  Who is the Sheep gate?  The Sheep gate is Jesus Christ.  A soul cannot pass into heaven until they are judged worthy of heaven.  We must be completely sinless and devoid of all inclinations to sin.  Now there is a rumor that when Jesus gave Peter the keys to heaven, He also gave a duplicate set to Mary, His mother.  This, of course, is not in biblical teaching, but it is something to ponder.

         Getting back to the heavenly wall, we now know the reason why that wall is so high.  Frankly, no being in their right mind would ever tear that wall asunder.  A wall protects its inhabitants from harm and crime.  It provides safety for the citizens that it surrounds.  Therefore, it is highly illogical for nations to drop their borders and walls.

         Immigration on this planet should follow the heavenly example.  Let’s be honest.  The Vatican has high walls that surround it.  It is highly unlikely that those walls will be removed any time soon and they should not be removed.  The safety of the Holy Father and the citizens of the Vatican are of paramount importance.  The Holy Father should also realize the safety of every citizen of the world should also be his paramount concern.  This is a very conservative approach.  We must find different ways to better the lives of all people without uprooting masses of people from their native countries.  My next article will focus on the topic of immigration.

         Until next time, Laus Tibi, Christe.  Deo Gratias.  Gloria Tibi Domini.  Praise be to God.  See you in Paradise. Amen.