After residing at my present location for three years, I tried as gently as possible to convey to my neighbors that things were about to change and that they would no longer have free access to my porch as they had in the past. But like a truck whose brakes had failed, they continued down their previous path, seemingly unaware of my misgivings. Their children continued to wrestle, play football, park their bicycles, and romp on my porch. In fact, when their guests came to the property, they permitted them to place their various forms of two-wheeled transportation on my porch. I often wondered whether they clearly understood what I had communicated to them. My greatest irritation was that they would hang their wet clothes out to dry on my porch on their laundry days without my permission. I said nothing to them because I had no intention of provoking an argument. Over time, I went abroad for two months, and during my absence, the proprietress came to the property and saw my neighbor’s hens, cats, dogs, and all the excrement generated by such animals all over my porch. She definitely was not pleased.
After my return home, she visited my apartment to collect my rent, and I embraced that opportunity to discuss with her my concerns about the continued abuse of my porch by my neighbors. I told her I had to do something to protect my porch and privacy, and she agreed. Shortly after, I purchased lumber and wire mesh and completely enclosed my porch. The landlady and her sister visited me two weeks later and told me that what I had erected was not the kind of enclosure they had envisioned. I informed them that what they want is what I had intended to do originally, but the landlady’s husband advised me not to. I assured them, however, that as soon as I returned from my next vacation, I would make the desired changes. Although they were happy with my concession. They were nevertheless grieved by the events preceding these developments. Accordingly, they went next door immediately and confronted my neighbors. “Why won’t you stay off Mr. James’s porch?” They demanded. “Have you seen what you made him do?” “We didn’t make him build that enclosure,” they replied. “Yes, you did,” the landlady countered. “You forced him to do that because you won’t stay off his porch.” “Furthermore,” she continued, “Find a place and go.”
The proprietress’s ultimatum generated an instantaneous crisis. Except for two absent members, the entire family was at the gate to my back verandah that same evening. They seemed confused at the landlady’s claim: “They had forced me to construct an enclosure surrounding my verandah because they wouldn’t stay off my porch.” They just couldn’t understand what the landlady meant. My response to them was, “Let’s put it this way: while I was on my vacation, they came here and saw all of the poop plastered all over my porch; they just didn’t like it.” I don’t know if my words helped any. For several weeks, the daughter who owned the animals carried a long face whenever she saw me. It seemed that merely grasping the principle of staying out of other people’s space. The importance of not trespassing on other people’s property was a concept that was beyond them. Is it possible I thought to myself. That these people were Disorganized Schizophrenics? There have always been boundaries in life. Some people, however, ignore them even though they are aware of them. As the police officer told me after I drove through a red light, invisible to many drivers, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking the law.”
Not all boundaries are so clear or well-defined. Nevertheless, we are held responsible for violating them. It seems as if there is an invisible, intangible law specifying that it is our responsibility to find out exactly what all the rules are and to do our utmost to obey them. We are cautioned:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
How can anyone find the narrow gate unless he earnestly searches for it. But how does he know that the narrow/right gate even exists unless an inner voice points him to that gate?
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand. Or whenever you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV).
The dying Levite (Uzzah) must have heard an inner voice at some point, which he decided to ignore. Those who listen to and are guided by that inner voice are considered wise.
Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you;
When you embrace her, she will bring you honor. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.” Proverbs 4: 7-9.
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