Like a BRIDGE

over troubled water...I'm sure by now we've all seen footage or heard reports of the crumbling bridge in Minneapolis. It's horrible, and there are sad stories as well as stories of heroism and acts of kindness. I've never liked driving over bridges, they have always scared me. When I was little I would tell my dad that we shouldn't drive over a bridge because it might let us down. Dad would always reassure me, and it was usually words like this, "You are going to be OK, the structure is strong and sturdy and won't let us fall"...and by the time he had said those things we were usually already across and I was breathing a sigh of relief. I especially hate it when I'm stuck on a bridge waiting for traffic to move or a light to change...you know, being suspended over a highway or body of water, that's the worst! There's always that bit of fear that maybe the structure can't be trusted, and just at the time I'm on it, it weakens and collapses. It never has though. That got me thinking about all kinds of Bridges...

The dictionary says a Bridge is "a [syn: span]structure spanning and providing passage over a gap or barrier, such as a river or roadway." We put faith in structures everyday that provide passage over gaps or barriers. Sometimes they are obvious/straightforward structures: like bridges that we actually drive over. Sometimes they are people who help us "pass" over some pretty significant barriers in our lives. Without them we would surely drive straight into some high water or head toward a collision course full of pain and hurt. It could be a bridge that helps us "cross over" some large gaps in our life: like education, family connections, a job we are passionate about that makes life more fulfilling-more meaningful. Like the bridges you can see and use when you drive, these bridges occasionally betray our trust too. They crack and fall; letting us down, suspending us in air--desperately waiting to be rescued. They buckle under the weight and pressures of expectations and need and fail...all kinds of scenarios!

This week's news made me think about bridges. I will like driving over them even less than I usually do, but I certainly will think of them differently, because even when a bridge fails one can't abandon all bridges. I have some great bridges in my life...my parents, my sibs, some great friends and an awesome staff to work with: with these I can echo my Dad's words: " the structure is strong and steady and won't let us fall."

However, the ultimate Bridge in life that I can put my trust in is Jesus. That's the one Bridge that never, ever fails...it's always solid: a strong structure that will never fail. Jesus provides the passage from death to life, and I'm not just talking about hell and heaven. I'm talking about life here on earth. There is so much "out there" that speaks of death: the war in Iraq, disappointment with our leaders, terrible diseases that are robbing our friends and families of their very lives, acts so evil that it really does make me feel like we are free falling into some dark abyss. I need a Bridge that let's me cross over from that kind of hopelessness to a life of hope...for me that is Jesus.

John 5:24 (New International Version)
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
by grayse
8/3/07