By A. Ray Lee

Columnist

Early on a recent morning a young inquisitive bull separated himself from the herd placidly grazing in the middle of a pasture and wandered down an old fence whose rotting posts had been spaced too far apart when set in the ground for the sagging rusty strands of barb wire to retain their tautness. For most of the herd, the old fence had served as an unquestioned boundary. But the young bull, with a determined look in his eyes, followed the fence line until he came to a place where under the trees on the other side he could see a small green plot in the distance covered with winter grain intended to sustain wildlife until the warmth of spring brought forth new forage for them to browse.

With little effort, he pushed his head through the wires, and leaving behind a breach in the fence was on his way to temporary freedom. After eating enough to fill his stomach from the lush grass he had found, and leaving ample evidence of his visit, he followed a narrow trail up through a stand of pines and came to a small hay field. Pausing only briefly to snatch a bite of winter rye grass he proceeded to cross three well-tended lawns. To the displeasure of the owners, once again he left evidence that he had been there.

Then exiting upon a heavily traveled blacktop his presence was discovered only due to the continuing loud protestation of resident dogs whose territory he had violated. He was seen casually walking down the middle of the road oblivious to the dangers presented by speeding vehicles. Eventually, he was corralled and placed back where he belonged.

Even though the young bull had all he needed in the pasture—plenty of greening grass and rolls of hay to eat from, water from a pond, and protection in the herd from coyotes and roving dogs, he had chosen to stretch his boundaries beyond the old fence to see if indeed “the grass was greener on the other side.” It seems as if he had taken his motto from the song “Don’t fence me in.”

The singing cowboy wanted a world without fences or restraints; one in which he could come and go as he pleased without regard to the responsibilities required of each to have a peaceful society in which to live.

Hopefully, the old fence has been repaired for it is a surety the young bull will test it again.

In our overpopulated world, we must have boundaries to maintain lawful societies. But there are those who test them to the limit over and over. Somehow the grass always seems greener on the other side for those who desire to live outside the law without regard for others and the consequences of their actions. For a while, they may exult in their freedom. They may think they can get away with their disregard for laws and norms. But there is an eternal truism found in the scriptures which states, “Be sure your sins will find you out.” It is an unchangeable law of nature and of God that whatsoever one sows he will also reap.

Will God send some kind of immediate judgment? A wise mentor once told me the judgment of God is already present and is often expressed by allowing one to have what he thinks he wants for in due time he will surely reap the consequences of that which he has sown.