A bright fellow called a meeting this past Tuesday. When I walked in, it was clear that, of the 9 already there, 6, I knew from past experience, were true leaders, confident people. I thought to myself, Didn’t kow the others, but had the sense to be careful. I mused, “This meeting could turn in any direction”.

It turned out to be a meeting without structure or agenda. As it would happen, I left with both.  It was attended by 13 of God’s children under the sun, none of whom were there 2 minutes before being aware that we were there to consider our common need to climb over walls built by our fathers.  Not all of us would face the same direction when climbing.

Sitting in those chairs around that table most every one of the 13 people was comfortable presenting clearly their thoughts as applied to the thread of subjects that popped up. I used the word, “clearly”, on purpose, since it is important that the reader know that the people who sat around that table were not the uninformed, unaccomplished, unable of our community.

Were any solutions to the great problems facing our time found? Were any put forward? Were there any conclusions drawn? Was there ever a theme?

A theme? Yes, indeed there arose a theme, at least for me. Without a doubt the theme was that all of us live together under a sky with clouds. If we are to build shelter, we must do it together, for the good of all.

Truth is, two conclusions were drawn:

1. There is a ditch full of water and filled with alligators lying between us and a fair land. I later learned that this ditch, with or without alligators, is both metaphor and literal. Both built by man.
2. We shall meet again to talk about climbing those walls.