The City of Walls –A Parable
Larry D. Kettle
Once upon a time there was a group of people who lived in a city. They had been through many struggles and had endured much pain and the city became a city of walls. Each time a citizen was offended or misunderstood another brick was added to the wall. As time passed the walls became thick and high. Over time the residents began to notice a different atmosphere in their community; they began to feel lonelier and more isolated. Everyone seemed to be so busy with their own lives that they had little time or interest in the lives of others. It had many caring places but didn’t seem to have a lot of places of caring
In time the city became a fortress of granite with an intricate system of walls. Within the walls there were limited access points and outsiders were not allowed entrance. The city had learned from its history that outsiders and strangers were not to be trusted. The city’s inhabitants were aware of what groups and subgroups they belonged in and they learned to stay within the walls where they were assigned. Misunderstandings in the group led to offences and offences led to a sense of betrayal. When this happens; the group would divide into more groups and more walls would be built. The streets of the city became narrower as more room was needed to accommodate all the new walls that were being built.
From time to time offended citizens would throw rocks over the walls at each other. Though they had built the walls to shield themselves from the pain, the pain only intensified. The rocks became bigger with more people hurt with each passing day. The hostility would take different forms; at times there would be a barrage of rocks
and at other times there would just be an eerie and icy silence
Sometimes the older citizens would talk about when times were better, when there were fewer walls in the city. One patriarch who had helped organize the town remembered when there weren’t any walls at all. He reminded them it had been called, “The City Beautiful” He talked about how accessible and open it had been. He recalled how the residents used to compliment one another on their well kept yards, how they used to visit one another and sip lemonade on the front porch.
A young whippersnapper overheard the patriarch describing this city of long ago and wondered out loud, “I wish there was a way to get our City Beautiful back again!” He defiantly got the attention of the groups; they reacted in different ways. The crusty old men laughed him to scorn but some of the quieter and more thoughtful ones began to think about what the young man had said. Some began to assemble in their caring places to talk about how they could become places that care.
The wishful young man became the leader of one of these caring places and got a divinely inspired idea. He said to the group, “Let’s tear down these walls and build bridges! Let’s see this become a beautiful healing place rather than a hurting place.” The original plan for the city was discovered in a book that the young leader read from each week. It described a beautiful city that was accessible even though it was built over cliffs and canyons. Sturdy bridges could be built over these obstacles; bridges built through a willingness to communicate, to address and not avoid conflict, and a desire to put understanding ahead of being understood. The bridges would be strengthened by a philosophy of others-centeredness instead of self-centeredness.
The people in his group began to live the values of caring and compassion. They became more vulnerable with one another even though there was a risk of being offended or misunderstood. This caring place began to develop a reputation in the city of walls. More and more people began to assemble in the caring place and walls within the caring place were broken down. Bridges were built with the material from the walls. It became known throughout the city as a place that cares, with people who care. These bridge builders began to travel through secret passages and points of access to initiate reconciliation with age-old enemies who were assembling in other caring places. Before long, the bridge builders had such an affect on the other groups that they knocked holes in their walls so they could see what was going on. They began to demolish the walls because they liked what they saw and wanted to join the bridge building movement.
Over a period of time the bridge building movement had such a positive influence on the caring places that almost all of them became places that care. The caring places began to work together to tear down the walls within the city. Soon businesses, schools, and residences were filled with happy people who were taking time to greet each other with a warm and genuine smile. They began to serve each other with excellence and compassion. They would compliment and affirm one another. They learned that people could still be trusted, offences could be forgiven, and understanding could be developed if they would all remain willing to focus on their commitment to bridge building.
The young leader of the bridge building movement reminded the citizens of the city that the manual describing the “City Beautiful” was designed by a Carpenter who had experienced the worst betrayal and mistrust that anyone could endure. He told them how this Carpenter had been whipped, beaten and crucified. But the Carpenter forgave his abusers and used the cross that He was crucified on to build a bridge of love and compassion to the very people who had slain Him.
The City of Walls was reincorporated as the “City Beautiful” and it was dedicated to the Architect and Builder that had laid out its plan in the divinely inspired book. At the gates of the city there was a replica of a cross with these words inscribed on it, “This City Beautiful is dedicated to Jesus Christ, a Jewish Carpenter who made the cross that He died on into a Bridge to Life!”
Larry D. Kettle
Once upon a time there was a group of people who lived in a city. They had been through many struggles and had endured much pain and the city became a city of walls. Each time a citizen was offended or misunderstood another brick was added to the wall. As time passed the walls became thick and high. Over time the residents began to notice a different atmosphere in their community; they began to feel lonelier and more isolated. Everyone seemed to be so busy with their own lives that they had little time or interest in the lives of others. It had many caring places but didn’t seem to have a lot of places of caring
In time the city became a fortress of granite with an intricate system of walls. Within the walls there were limited access points and outsiders were not allowed entrance. The city had learned from its history that outsiders and strangers were not to be trusted. The city’s inhabitants were aware of what groups and subgroups they belonged in and they learned to stay within the walls where they were assigned. Misunderstandings in the group led to offences and offences led to a sense of betrayal. When this happens; the group would divide into more groups and more walls would be built. The streets of the city became narrower as more room was needed to accommodate all the new walls that were being built.
From time to time offended citizens would throw rocks over the walls at each other. Though they had built the walls to shield themselves from the pain, the pain only intensified. The rocks became bigger with more people hurt with each passing day. The hostility would take different forms; at times there would be a barrage of rocks
and at other times there would just be an eerie and icy silence
Sometimes the older citizens would talk about when times were better, when there were fewer walls in the city. One patriarch who had helped organize the town remembered when there weren’t any walls at all. He reminded them it had been called, “The City Beautiful” He talked about how accessible and open it had been. He recalled how the residents used to compliment one another on their well kept yards, how they used to visit one another and sip lemonade on the front porch.
A young whippersnapper overheard the patriarch describing this city of long ago and wondered out loud, “I wish there was a way to get our City Beautiful back again!” He defiantly got the attention of the groups; they reacted in different ways. The crusty old men laughed him to scorn but some of the quieter and more thoughtful ones began to think about what the young man had said. Some began to assemble in their caring places to talk about how they could become places that care.
The wishful young man became the leader of one of these caring places and got a divinely inspired idea. He said to the group, “Let’s tear down these walls and build bridges! Let’s see this become a beautiful healing place rather than a hurting place.” The original plan for the city was discovered in a book that the young leader read from each week. It described a beautiful city that was accessible even though it was built over cliffs and canyons. Sturdy bridges could be built over these obstacles; bridges built through a willingness to communicate, to address and not avoid conflict, and a desire to put understanding ahead of being understood. The bridges would be strengthened by a philosophy of others-centeredness instead of self-centeredness.
The people in his group began to live the values of caring and compassion. They became more vulnerable with one another even though there was a risk of being offended or misunderstood. This caring place began to develop a reputation in the city of walls. More and more people began to assemble in the caring place and walls within the caring place were broken down. Bridges were built with the material from the walls. It became known throughout the city as a place that cares, with people who care. These bridge builders began to travel through secret passages and points of access to initiate reconciliation with age-old enemies who were assembling in other caring places. Before long, the bridge builders had such an affect on the other groups that they knocked holes in their walls so they could see what was going on. They began to demolish the walls because they liked what they saw and wanted to join the bridge building movement.
Over a period of time the bridge building movement had such a positive influence on the caring places that almost all of them became places that care. The caring places began to work together to tear down the walls within the city. Soon businesses, schools, and residences were filled with happy people who were taking time to greet each other with a warm and genuine smile. They began to serve each other with excellence and compassion. They would compliment and affirm one another. They learned that people could still be trusted, offences could be forgiven, and understanding could be developed if they would all remain willing to focus on their commitment to bridge building.
The young leader of the bridge building movement reminded the citizens of the city that the manual describing the “City Beautiful” was designed by a Carpenter who had experienced the worst betrayal and mistrust that anyone could endure. He told them how this Carpenter had been whipped, beaten and crucified. But the Carpenter forgave his abusers and used the cross that He was crucified on to build a bridge of love and compassion to the very people who had slain Him.
The City of Walls was reincorporated as the “City Beautiful” and it was dedicated to the Architect and Builder that had laid out its plan in the divinely inspired book. At the gates of the city there was a replica of a cross with these words inscribed on it, “This City Beautiful is dedicated to Jesus Christ, a Jewish Carpenter who made the cross that He died on into a Bridge to Life!”
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