Then he began to speak to them in parables. 'A man planted a vineyard, [and] put a fence around it...' Mark 12:1

Ethology is the study of the comparison between human and animal behaviour. Animals and humans are 'territorial' - they mark a piece of ground and defend it against intruders.

Fish, worms, gazelles, and lizards stake out particular areas and put up fierce resistance when intruders encroach on their area. Many species use odorous secretions to mark the boundaries of their territory. For example the wolf marks its domain by urinating around the perimeter.

Humans' genetic endowment drives us to do the same. 'The dog barking at you from behind his master's fence acts for a motive indistinguishable from that of his master when the fence was built'. In a library you protect your space with a book, coat, or note-book. You 'save a place' in the theatre or at the beach reserving a spot that is 'mine' or 'ours'. Juvenile gangs fight to protect their turf. Neighbours of similar ethnic backgrounds join forces to keep other groups out. Nations war over contested territory. Pastors accuse others of 'sheep-stealing'. Think about it: are boundaries part of God's intention for our lives, or part of our fallenness?

So why is there a fence around my property, my family, myself, Lord? Help me to figure out the good and bad aspects of this universal habit of humans. Amen.

WE NEED BOUNDARIES!

Do you not fear me? says the Lord; Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass. Jeremiah 5:22.

All of nature (including human nature) has boundaries to protect us from invasion by alien forces that would destroy us.

There's good news and bad news here. Individuals and families ought to have boundaries - physical, material, emotional and others ought to respect those boundaries. Indeed, boundaries define us, in many ways. They tell us and others 'what is me and what is not me'. My fence tells me where my property begins and ends. My skin does the same thing for my body. Words do it in communication particularly the word 'No!' which helps others understand that you exist apart from them, and that 'I am in control of me'. Taking time off from involvement with people or projects helps you gain control of your own time-program.

Emotionally, we need some privacy, particularly when someone else wants to abuse us: because we fear being alone we permit another to invade our personal space. We may have to separate ourselves from that person for a time to regain our emotional strength. And we must learn that the abusive 'invader' is not the only source of love and intimacy in the world: we need to selectively 'expose' ourselves to others as well.

So help me to understand Lord what is happening when another person enters my life and creates discomfort. And may I know when to invade another's life, and when to stay this side of their boundaries! Amen.