Article March 13, 1971 Issue

Have We Taken Down Our Fences?

FLINT LEWIS TOWNSEND

Years ago there was a piece of property with a fence around it. One day a section of the fence including the gate was taken down. Later the writer noticed that his pet cat came to the line where the fence had been but would not cross it. Instead, as usual, the cat padded along the line to where the gate had been and entered the property. The writer could not get the cat to cross the line. To the cat's way of thinking, a barrier still existed. Finally, picking up the cat, the writer walked over the line. Afterward the pet would come and go freely.

Think of the self-imposed fences, mental blocks, we build that separate ourselves from others who may think differently than we do, or are of another race. We may be setting ourselves off from others by indifference, envy, ingratitude, fear, ignorance, or hate. We might ask ourselves: "Have I taken down such fences? Have I taken down any fence that keeps me from communicating with my fellowmen and helping them?"

Mrs. Eddy writes, "With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science."^{Science and Health, pp. 469, 470;} With love we can tear down the restrictions and divisions that tend to keep us from serving one another.