| THE ILLUSION OF THE WALL OF SEPARATION The Bible is a record of only a few of God's visits to man. Most of these visits did not happen in a worship service. They happened in the stuff of life in the market place, on city streets, in homes, during travels, while men were fishing, around campfires, and in all orbits of life. These visits were not periodic occasions isolated from secular affairs. In modern language of the business culture, God visited men and women in "the real world." The most common response to these visits was fear, dread, awe and an impulse to run from God. The shepherds reacted to God's announcement of a savior with fear. Jonah responded by trying to sail in the opposite direction from God's presence. Why does man run from God? Many reasons. God's sovereignty takes us off the throne of our lives. His light means exposure of every corner of our conscience. His timelessness and greatness makes us feel small. The vast treasures of his wisdom and knowledge dwarf our greatest thoughts. This impulse to run from God takes many forms. The most common escape route is idolatry. We create small gods we can control so we can remain sovereign. We invent gods who can't hear and see our faults so we can hide. We adopt idols who cannot speak and expose our ignorance. As Isaiah said, "You turn things upside down. Shall the potter be regarded as the clay?" (Isa. 29:16) We run from God by becoming a spectator – investigating Him instead of letting God investigate us. We put God on trial to avoid our own trial. We reduce God to our own explanations, but soon discover he is beyond our thoughts. As Job said, "Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven – what can you do? Deeper than Sheol – what can you know?" (Job. 11:7-9) Religious people run from God in legalism. We substitute our own laws (which are always selected to fit our natural strengths) for the commandments of God. This way of hiding allows us to avoid the direct commands of God and choose the ones we want. We retain "the right to choose" and remain in control. We can run from God by speaking of Him in the third person. We can speak about Him and not listen to Him. We can run from God in the very act of speaking about Him. We try to avoid God by making Him Lord of sections of our lives, not the whole of life. We let God control what we want Him to control and remain in control of what we want to control. This leads us to the "walls of separation." We divide secular and sacred, flesh and spirit, and public and private. The mythical "wall of separation" in American culture is an attempt to run from God; to keep Him in His place; and stay in control. It is about power. Of course, running from God is futile. Where can we hide? "If I ascent up to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall your hand lead me, and your right hand shall hold me." (Psa. 139:8-10) So the "wall of separation" is an illusion. God is present in the rooms where the laws are discussed and passed. He is in the Oval Office seeing, listening, and speaking. He is in the hall of Congress and the judge's chambers. He walks in the market place, Wall Street, Costco, Wall Mart, and Home Depot. He sits at every breakfast, lunch, and dinner in our homes, Wendys , and MacDonalds. He is part of our private lives in the living rooms, bedrooms, and motels. He is even in the offices of the ACLU listening to the strategies to exclude Him from schools and public squares. And He laughs. "The wicked plot against the godly, and snarl at them in defiance. But the Lord just laughs. He knows their day of judgment is coming." (Psa. 37:12,13) He looks at our little tin idols that cannot speak, hear, see or act and shakes his head at our folly. He looks at our man-made laws and wonders why we want to tangle ourselves in such confusion. He sees our attempts to control the world and is amazed at our naive arrogance. But then He never stops wooing us back to himself. He continues to speak of forgiveness, reconciliation, and love. He seeks to overcome our initial reaction of fear and dread. He says to the shepherds, "Fear not. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David, a savior has been born." (Luke 2:10,11) He was there during the attack on the World Trade Center, the Indonesian tsunami , the European genocides and the world wars, because neither life nor death can separate us from his love. His love for us will not allow Him to end his visits. He shows up in every circumstance and in every place all the time. He shows up especially at the end of our rope. He will never leave us or forsake us, and the Greek translation for "never" is "never." |