Borders are Beautiful

Canvas art is all the rage but I’d much prefer a painting in a frame. It not only preserves the work better, it also sets it apart from the wall it is placed on and gives it significance.  That may be a personal preference, but it’s an example of a boundary, or a border, that is meant to protect and beautify something good.

You can look at all of the world as series of borders, whether geographic, geometric, financial, political, or otherwise.  An ocean, a spider web, a mountain; A property line, a road, a stoplight; A bank vault, a marriage certificate, a county line, a glass of water; life and death, day and night, male and female. All borders. Even sin itself is a violation of a border. 

Expulsion From the Garden of Eden by Thomas Cole

The first boundaries were set in the creation account, with God forming and separating space, time and mass for humanity to dwell in (Genesis 1).  Another boundary was created when God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden and placed a cherubim at its entrance (Genesis 3). Fifteen foot tall cherubim were later carved from olive wood and placed inside the tabernacle, which served as a boundary line into which only priests could enter, a border restricting access to God in all his holiness and glory.  A parallel story is laid out in Numbers 34, where the Lord implores Israel to drive the Canaanites out of the land that he had promised them. Boundary lines are described in fantastic detail here, and God would further define boundary lines when apportioning each tribe in Israel tracts of land (Joshua 13-21). Turning to the New Testament, in Acts 17 we read that God establishes the boundaries and dwelling places for all mankind in accordance with his good and holy will.  In the final judgment, one last decisive boundary will be drawn up, separating those in Christ who have access to him in the new heavens and new earth and those who will be separated from him eternally in hell.  

Boundaries matter and they’re worth thinking about.  They’ve existed from the beginning and will carry on to the very end… from creation to the fall to redemption and the final recreation. God has intentionally and lovingly woven boundaries, or borders, into every aspect of our existence. They protect us, guide us, motivate us, and give our lives meaning. They are the lines on the map of life that help us understand and live in the magnificent world that He has fashioned. 

There is a violent attack on borders today. I’m not just referring to the US-Mexico border, because it is more permeable than at any point in our modern national history.  I’m not just referring to the dystopian notion of a borderless, 100% surveilled global village that the likes of the World Economic Forum seeks to build. And I’m not just referring to the gender-bending madness that would eliminate any and all distinction between male and female or the sexual grooming of children in schools which would eliminate the stigma of pedophilia and incest.  Yes, I am noting these as examples of borders that were never meant to be broken down, but behind these political and social movements is the unyielding desire to lift all God-given restraints for humanity that are obvious, natural and necessary for cooperative and beneficial society.

I’m not dishing doom and gloom here, however. I’m optimistic to be honest  A push for a borderless existence will ultimately fail. It is failing.  People see it failing, and not just in progressive cities or on mainstream media, but in their workplaces, churches and schools. It started as a drip, became a leak and turned into a roaring tide. Now many of us see the need to stem the roaring tide of this borderless ideology, because it works against human nature and we’ve concluded one inescapable reality — these borders must exist for us to exist and remain sane and safe. Nations without borders implode and cease to be nations.  Cars will crash without lane dividers and traffic lights. Prisons will be emptied without cells.  Violence without the rule of just law will become the norm.  People break down without them. Mental health becomes a national public health crisis.  Suicide rates increase dramatically.

Ultimately, if you want to bring a sense of normalcy and coherence back to our society, begin to embrace borders.  Look for them because they’re everywhere. Give thanks to God for them. Consider how they benefit you and those around you.  Start throwing border celebration parties and giving “borders are beautiful” t-shirts to all your friends, family and coworkers. Name your next child “Boundary”.  If that seems a little too crazy, just remember it’s a lot more sane than a world without borders.