Nehemiah 3:13-27: a reflection

13Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the valley gate. They built it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and one thousand cubits of the wall to the dung gate. 14Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth Haccherem, repaired the dung gate. He built it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 15Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the spring gate. He built it, covered it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars; and he repaired the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king’s garden, even to the stairs that go down from David’s city. 16After him, Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs to the place opposite the tombs of David, and to the pool that was made, and to the house of the mighty men. 17After him, the Levites—Rehum the son of Bani made repairs. Next to him, Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. 18After him, their brothers, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah made repairs. 19Next to him, Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another portion across from the ascent to the armory at the turning of the wall. 20After him, Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired another portion, from the turning of the wall to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21After him, Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another portion, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22After him, the priests, the men of the surrounding area made repairs. 23After them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs across from their house. After them, Azariah the son of Maaseiah the son of Ananiah made repairs beside his own house. 24After him, Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another portion, from the house of Azariah to the turning of the wall, and to the corner. 25Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the turning of the wall, and the tower that stands out from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs. 26(Now the temple servants lived in Ophel, to the place opposite the water gate toward the east, and the tower that stands out.) 27After him the Tekoites repaired another portion, opposite the great tower that stands out, and to the wall of Ophel.

This chapter is a long list of who repaired which section of Jerusalem's broken wall, and one phrase keeps recurring: each worked on the stretch near his own house. Beside his own house, opposite his own house, the priests near their homes, the Tekoites at their portion. The whole wall got rebuilt because dozens of ordinary families each took the piece right in front of them.

Notice how the great task got done. Not by one hero rebuilding the entire wall, but by many people each repairing their own stretch, the part nearest to where they lived. No one had to fix the whole thing. Each took responsibility for the section in front of them, and together the whole broken circuit rose again.

There is a simple wisdom here for anything that feels too big to fix. You are not asked to rebuild the whole wall. You are asked to repair the stretch by your own house, the piece of the work that is actually yours, near where you live and among the people you are given. When everyone tends their own section, the wall gets built. So do not be paralyzed by the size of the whole. Take up the part in front of you, beside your own house, and do that well.

Lord, when the work feels too big to fix, help me take up the stretch that is actually mine, the part beside my own house. Let me do my section faithfully, trusting you to raise the whole as each does their part.