An Unwalled City

I recently relaunched this blog with a crossover post from my main blog, The Stand Up Philosopher. I was challenged to read Nehemiah from the perspective of male leadership, and it was enlightening.

In the post, I wondered why Nehemiah saw Jerusalem as a reproach without walls. I asked:

For one thing, Nehemiah considered Jerusalem as a reproach with the walls down. Putting the walls back up would make the city no longer a reproach. I have to wonder if there is anything I can draw from that. Is a person, a family, a church, a group, a society, etc. a reproach with a broken wall, a lack of boundaries, or no form of defensive security and self-containment? Is there a broader application?

I've found something of an answer in Proverbs 25:28:

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

At the time I recorded that verse in my journal, I was dealing with some anger and boundary issues. I've always had a problem with that. I've been too open, and it cost me a lot of trust from people close to me. 

Through that phase, I started learning self-control. I started learning how to deal with my anger, especially in how I respond. I also started to learn how to separate and compartmentalize parts of my life. I don't think I've ever had trouble with bringing work home, but I've often had trouble with bringing home to work. When I was upset about something at home, it affected my ability to work, and interact with people at work.

I think I finally got that fixed within the last couple of years. I guess you could say I built some appropriate walls.