Bridge Builders

I discovered this lovely little bridge quite by chance. It’s tucked away along one of the many curves in Highway 101. You can’t see it unless you take your eyes off the road, look down into a low area adjacent to the highway, tilt your head a little to the left and close one eye. Just kidding. Almost.

From the first moment I saw the bridge, I knew I had to find a pull-off spot, walk along a dirt road that leads right up the bridge, and snap a few pictures. And, on one of our rare days when it was not pouring down rain, I did just that. To my surprise, I discovered that the bridge was built over a very pretty bubbling stream that was a delight to see. Maybe those pictures another time. What you don’t see in the photograph is a red sign at the near end of the bridge. The sign says: This bridge is certified for all emergency vehicles. Even big, heavy fire trucks can make the crossing safely. Good news for anyone who lives across the bridge and around the bend in the road. It’s a strong bridge that can be trusted.

The world I live in could use some bridges that span chasms of misunderstanding, misinformation, and missing values. We need bridges that can be trusted to bear the weight, carry the load. And we could use a few bridge builders, too. In many ways, Jesus was a bridge from one world to another, one reality to a different reality. He linked things and people. He brought together people of various stations in life, differing viewpoints, different priorities. He was a bridge to a new place in thinking and acting. Not only that, he taught people how to build bridges. He called it loving your neighbor, forgiving, sacrificing. Then he told them to go out into the world and build. To carry the metaphor to its extreme, the church I attend is a school for bridge building. We call it redemption and reconciliation.  As He was and is the bridge, so we, his disciples, are certified bridge builders. Lots of gaping chasms out there. Lots of bridges needed. So, pick up your toolkit of determined faith and press on. Time to build some bridges in his name.