Fences: Someone elses protection for me (Chris Henderson)
Typically I am not emotional at online news stories. For some reason this one was different...hope I can capture and convey those emotions to you.
The short of it is that there were a group of friends that wanted to cool off on a hot day, so what should they do? They jump a fence and head to the Bronx River. Harmless, no? I have jumped many a fence in my time here on earth (probably too many times).
"The area, near East 180th Street and Boston Road, is fenced off. But cops and local residents said kids climb the fence there all the time." As they are playing on the river bank, enjoying the cool water in the 90+℉ day, David looks out and sees two friends heads bobbing in the river. At first glance he wrote it off as them playing but soon realized that there was no playing about it. David jumps into the river and proceeds to help his friends to safety. He is able to save one and on his second trip out he is overtaken by the current and loses his life. Friends and loved ones hail him as a hero, and rightly so, for saving the young girls life. The most tragic part of this story is that Davids twin brother was unable to save the young man. I would rather not even imagine the feelings his brother had as his life-long friend slipped from his grip into the current.
"It's all fenced off," [Fire Department Deputy Chief Jay] Johns said of the area. "People jump the fence. There's nothing we can do about it."
Suddenly all the fences I have jumped in life came back to memory; the one down at the ditch when we lived on Washington St, the ones out in Camp Ruby, TX and a few my parents do not even know about. Then just as real as physical fences I have jumped came a whole host of other fences jumped in my life and possible consequences of jumping them!
Fences are a fairly common object in the Bible and they come in several forms. Most every fence in the Bible is there to set a definitive line of definition, they say 'this is where one thing starts and another ends'. Moses sets a fence around the mountain, cities are fenced in all over the OT, Job speaks of his way being fenced in; all examples of boundaries in life. Boundaries that if we ignore we step out of the grace of God and face on our own.
God has placed 'NO TRESPASSING' signs in our lives. HIS Word, parents, pastors and mentors are all examples of these signs in our lives. Deputy Johns said it right, there is nothing we can do about what fences you jump. It is your choice what fences you jump and my choice what fences I jump. I am not able to hold Corbitts hand through life and say 'not that choice', 'Corbitt you need to make this decision'. No parent can, there is such a thing as individuality. Likewise my pastor cannot force decisions onto me, I have to make up in my own little brain to do the right thing. To not cross the fence into danger.
Please do not misread my take on the story, I am devastated that it happened. I want for no one to have to deal with the pain of losing a son, a brother or a friend. I do think that it is noteworthy though that the fence was jumped. The fence is there for a reason and because that fence is jumped all the time it became ok but what was forgot was the reason the fence was there. To protect from death, not from fun. So the next time you find yourself standing at the proverbial fence wondering if you should jump it or not think about it a little longer, figure out why the fence was set there, weigh the consequences and the potential death of your ministry, vocational or otherwise. If upon your figuring you deem it a worthy place for a fence and it is broken down, fix the fence. If you deem it not worth being placed there, proceed with caution because someone thought it a good place to put a fence.
Never jump a fence that is protecting you from death.
The short of it is that there were a group of friends that wanted to cool off on a hot day, so what should they do? They jump a fence and head to the Bronx River. Harmless, no? I have jumped many a fence in my time here on earth (probably too many times).
"The area, near East 180th Street and Boston Road, is fenced off. But cops and local residents said kids climb the fence there all the time." As they are playing on the river bank, enjoying the cool water in the 90+℉ day, David looks out and sees two friends heads bobbing in the river. At first glance he wrote it off as them playing but soon realized that there was no playing about it. David jumps into the river and proceeds to help his friends to safety. He is able to save one and on his second trip out he is overtaken by the current and loses his life. Friends and loved ones hail him as a hero, and rightly so, for saving the young girls life. The most tragic part of this story is that Davids twin brother was unable to save the young man. I would rather not even imagine the feelings his brother had as his life-long friend slipped from his grip into the current.
"It's all fenced off," [Fire Department Deputy Chief Jay] Johns said of the area. "People jump the fence. There's nothing we can do about it."
Suddenly all the fences I have jumped in life came back to memory; the one down at the ditch when we lived on Washington St, the ones out in Camp Ruby, TX and a few my parents do not even know about. Then just as real as physical fences I have jumped came a whole host of other fences jumped in my life and possible consequences of jumping them!
Fences are a fairly common object in the Bible and they come in several forms. Most every fence in the Bible is there to set a definitive line of definition, they say 'this is where one thing starts and another ends'. Moses sets a fence around the mountain, cities are fenced in all over the OT, Job speaks of his way being fenced in; all examples of boundaries in life. Boundaries that if we ignore we step out of the grace of God and face on our own.
God has placed 'NO TRESPASSING' signs in our lives. HIS Word, parents, pastors and mentors are all examples of these signs in our lives. Deputy Johns said it right, there is nothing we can do about what fences you jump. It is your choice what fences you jump and my choice what fences I jump. I am not able to hold Corbitts hand through life and say 'not that choice', 'Corbitt you need to make this decision'. No parent can, there is such a thing as individuality. Likewise my pastor cannot force decisions onto me, I have to make up in my own little brain to do the right thing. To not cross the fence into danger.
Please do not misread my take on the story, I am devastated that it happened. I want for no one to have to deal with the pain of losing a son, a brother or a friend. I do think that it is noteworthy though that the fence was jumped. The fence is there for a reason and because that fence is jumped all the time it became ok but what was forgot was the reason the fence was there. To protect from death, not from fun. So the next time you find yourself standing at the proverbial fence wondering if you should jump it or not think about it a little longer, figure out why the fence was set there, weigh the consequences and the potential death of your ministry, vocational or otherwise. If upon your figuring you deem it a worthy place for a fence and it is broken down, fix the fence. If you deem it not worth being placed there, proceed with caution because someone thought it a good place to put a fence.
Never jump a fence that is protecting you from death.