It’s mine! No, It’s Mine.

In the video below, Colin Grey examines the truly bizarre border between Canada and the United States – the longest international border in the world.

Follow this link and try not to shake your head in disbelief.

I had no idea that there is actually a carved – out six meter wide “no-touching zone” along the border that runs 8,800 kilometers between Canada and the United States and both countries are “super serious about keeping it clear.” Yet, despite many ongoing efforts, these two vast, spacious, mature and wealthy countries still have disputed territories.

I watched this video three times because my simplistic mind kept defaulting at the thought of, “it’s all about what belongs to ME.”  I mean, let’s face it – we are a demanding people who don’t like to share. We’ve practised entitlement all our lives. We have been children who argued about toys, who became teens who argued about bedrooms, who became adults who argued about property lines, who became people groups who argued about land rights and we slowly, but surely have morphed into countries who argue about borders.

I have to admit that it’s quite an engineering feat to have carved out those huge swaths of “no man’s land” way back when, (as crooked as the lines were) but the petty childishness regarding the ongoing disputes is laughable…like the island where Canadians built a lighthouse and Americans pretend it’s not there.

Can’t we do a better job sharing? I don’t get it.  I guess I’m just not cut out for politics.

Why can’t we put the emphasis on creative sharing, rather than dogmatic ownership? Yah, I know it’s about laws and stuff but let’s be honest – it’s always messier to share. Sharing means ongoing, healthy, give-and-take communication and that’s always going to be messier than straight out, authoritarian, “This belongs to me and that’s the way it’s going to be” statements.  I guess most of us just don’t do “messy” well. We gotta’ draw the line, be meticulous and claim what rightfully belongs to us.

Talk about unbiblical thinking….

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 24.1 NIV