A couple years ago I heard Jared Diamond talk about how societies can collapse on themselves by being self-centered. The Spaniard and I left talking about how perhaps our lives in our community were similar in a small way – inside a bubble – a bubble that takes care of itself without real care for the outside world – a kind-of gated community.

A couple weeks ago I heard a wonderful sermon at my church on relationships and yesterday, I listened to it again while running.

So many wonderful points but this thought from C.S. Lewis jumped out…

“To love at all is to be vulnerable.

Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal.

Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries, avoid all entanglements, lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

For whatever reason, that talk and the Lewis thought had me flashing back to Diamond’s thoughts on societies.

Gated communities and gated hearts… both seem scary to me.

(For the sermon: Use this link or get it on iTunes using this link, then choose 3: Unresolved Conflict – Corey. Email me if you have questions and I’ll help you out. Two other favorites of mine by Corey – 55: The Subversive Power of Grace – Corey and 76: All in a Day’s Work – Corey. Great stuff.)