While walking through a big, grassy field yesterday I came across a wooden fence that stretched in both directions as far as the eye could see. At first nothing special struck me about it, but then I looked at it more closely and saw nails and broken glass glued on top, and I thought to myself how uncomfortable it would be to sit on it.

And then it hit me--this was the fence. You know, the one people sit on.

After hearing about it all my life, it was a pleasure to finally come across it in person. So naturally I set out to explore this fence.

After I had walked a few miles I began to discern ahead of me what seemed to be a structure of some sort built next to the fence. When I got closer, however, I realized that it was actually a very cleverly constructed treehouse, built right on top of the fence!

It was truly a marvel of engineering, this treehouse. It was like it was perfectly balanced.

I began to look closely at the treehouse. After examining it for quite some time, I realized that on one of the boards the following words carved into the wood: CONSTRUCTED BY KARL BARTH.

I began to wonder what, or who, was inside this treehouse, so I jumped as high as I could and grabbed onto the windowsill. Looking inside I saw many old friends having a jolly time in the treehouse, talking about creeds and world hunger. There was Marv Knox, and there was Dr. Dennison. A couple of profs from Southwestern Seminary were even there, along with many Truett seminary people and Denton Lotz. Dozens of chapel speakers were there. Dr. Cook spent a little bit of time in there but it looked like he wanted to keep one foot on our side of the fence so he could stay friends with so many of the rest of us.

I called out to them and said, "Hey, what are you guys doing in this treehouse?"

They said to me, "Come on in here, it's great!"

I said to them, "But Dr. Bell and Dr. Estes and Dr. Trammel are on this side of the fence!" (And indeed they were, talking about absolute truth and world missions.)

They said, "Come on into this treehouse, that side of the fence is full of mean people who think women can't be pastors!"

TO BE CONTINUED IF I FEEL LIKE IT.