The Dividing Wall

A few days ago, I listened to Vice President Pence’s attempt to make a case for President Trump’s decision to build a wall on the Southern Border.  Several times Pence declared that the “American people” supports erecting a wall.

He stood there and lied on the American people, for the majority of the American people are not in favor of building a wall.  Not only was he lying, but he was offending people of color.  And what makes Pence’s statement offensive is the bigotry that lies behind his definition of American people.

I want to make it clear to you today that Pence’s definition of “American people” is not inclusive of people of color.  His definition only includes the little more than thirty percent of Trump’s base.

And what’s even more offensive to me as a Christian myself is the fact that Pence is a hypocrite masquerading as a Christian.  It is the hypocrisy of the highest degree for him to declare himself a Christian all while supporting the building of a wall that’s both divisive and racist.

When you think about it, a lot of those politicians that support the wall that Trump is hell bent on building are people that generally belong to a church somewhere.  They supposedly follow the same Gospel of Jesus Christ that other Christians follow, that Gospel that bids us to love one another as Jesus has loved us.  Oh yeah! The hypocrisy of those right wing politicians and church leaders that subscribe to building a wall is astounding.

 They called themselves Christians; yet, they follow behind an immoral president whose policies are contrary to the very nature of God.  Their cries of “Let Trump have his wall”, “make our Southern Borders safe” or “Keep them out” comes from logic that’s antithetical to the word that’s found in Ephesians 2:14.  For the word says, “He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.”

 The Republicans are advocating building a wall all while our text is saying that Jesus came to tear down the walls.  The right wing politicians and church leaders stand with Trump’s desire to erect a wall, but Paul is saying that Jesus came to tear down the wall.  Jesus came to tear down the wall that once kept us all from gaining access to God.

 Not only did Jesus come to give us all access to God, for He also came to destroy the walls that keep all people apart.  Again, I invite you to hear Paul say, “He is our peace, who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.” God is not pleased with the walls that certain American citizens think that they have a right to erect.

 We must stand against the hypocrites of America that think that their religion gives them the right to create walls that enforce separation in America.  It is that same hypocrisy that sanctioned slavery and today’s discriminatory and racist acts.  We must stand against the likes of those hypocrites of Christianity that support “The Dividing Wall.”  Let me remind them that Job 27:8 says, “For what is the hope of a hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

Excerpt from sermon preached at Third St. Bethel AME Church on 2/2/2019