May 5, 2021 Weekly Update
Photo by Antonio Janeski on Unsplash
Have you ever caused an international incident? No? Me neither. So when I saw a story recently about a farmer in Belgium who accidently made his country 1000 sq meters larger and France 1000 sq meters smaller, I took notice.
France and Belgium share a border of about 390 miles. Stone markers have been in place for 200 years, clearly defining the line of demarcation. But recently, a farmer in the town of Erquelinnes (extra credit if you can that) moved a stone in his field 7.5 ft to a more convenient spot. The movement of the stone – placed in the correct spot in 1819 after the defeat of Napoleon – resulted in an accidental land grab, one that the authorities chuckled about and promised to resolve immediately.
This is a great reminder that all our borders are human made. Yes rivers, mountains, streams, and stones may indicate natural boundaries, but we are the ones who place value on the features in order to say “that’s your side, this is my side.” Of course these boundaries are necessary, helpful, and prudent for our communal organization of laws and government. But they boundaries are still human made.
In our sermon series “Living the Resurrection,” we have been reflecting on how the risen Jesus consistently crosses the boundaries of death, sin, suffering, and pain. There is no human boundary we can erect that will stop his love from impacting our lives and our world. So the next time you see a stone along a farmer’s field, may it remind you that God, too, rolled away a stone to show you there is no border between your life and God’s love.
You can read more about that “international incident” here: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/belgium-farmer-moves-french-border/index.html
Blessings,
Pastor Jared