Above the Horse Gate, the priests repaired the wall. Each one repaired the section immediately across from his own house. Nehemiah 3:28 (NLT)
Jerusalem was in ruins. The walls were broken down, the gates had been burned with fire. It was a mess. Nehemiah received permission from the king and went home to help rebuild. During that time he faced lots of opposition. There were people outside who didn’t want him to continue. There were people inside who grumbled. But, he stayed the course, rallied the people and they eventually completed the work.
As I read this story, particularly the Scripture above, I think about our world. There always seems to be fighting. There always seems to be discord. I don’t even like to watch the news anymore because honestly, it feels more like a soap opera than actual news.
It makes you wonder “What could I possibly do to help my world, my country, my town, my community?” How about do what Nehemiah did? He broke the work down into bite-sized pieces. “Each one repaired the section immediately across from his own house.” What if we did that? What if we looked around us and took care of the people in our immediate vicinity?
How about the neighbor next door whose daughter has cancer? How about the family member that just needs a helping hand on Sunday? How about the co-worker who needs someone to share a meal with and listen?
There is nothing wrong with knowing what’s happening in the world. But often we stop there. We watch it, comment on it and then do nothing to help it. There is more than enough to restore in our own backyard. Pick a part of your wall and start building.