Bridges
Love
the Lord your God with all your heart…; and, Love your neighbor as yourself….Do
this and you will live. (Luke 10:27, 28)
The Washington Avenue bridge is long
gone. It once spanned the Mississippi River, connecting the University of
Minnesota’s main campus with the edge of downtown Minneapolis. For four years
(well, nearly five) I parked daily on the west bank and walked across that
bridge to and from my classes. The sidewalks on each side of the roadway were
wooden planks bolted to a frame. I counted those planks many times, as I did
the steel rods that made up the railing.
Bridges make it possible for me to get
where I want—or need—to be. A plane is a bridge that gets me to Chicago in one
hour or to Moscow in twelve. My car is the bridge that gets me to my daughter’s
home in twenty minutes or to the grocery store in three. And my phone is a
bridge to almost anywhere in the world in a few seconds. Discovery is a bridge
to knowledge, language to communication, insight to understanding, and
experience (hopefully) to wisdom.
So bridges are great things…when they
work. Just a half-mile north of where the old Washington Avenue bridge once
stood, an eight-lane Interstate highway bridge fell into the river several
years ago. Thirteen people died. We need our bridges to be strong enough to
bear the burden we place upon them.
The Norwegian Vikings understood the
rainbow to be a bridge by which people could pass over to the land of the gods
and talk to them. It was a risky passage, however; if an unworthy person tried
to cross, they believed, the bridge would give way and that soul be lost
forever. No, we need our bridges to be made of sterner stuff. We expect them to
carry us safely and without risk.
Jesus
taught that love for God and love for neighbor is the bridge to a satisfying
life of faith. Love for God is a matter of humble obedience to God’s will,
unrelated to our feelings. Likewise, love for neighbors is seen in our actions
toward them. To love is to be kind and truthful toward those who come within
the circle of our experience; it has nothing to do with whether or not we like
them. Love is a strong bridge and a dependable one. It leads even us, unworthy
people though we be, home.
We’re not guaranteed comfort in the
crossing, to be sure. Winds of criticism and the chill of rejection may cause
us to wish for an easier way. But our passage is safe, our destination sure.
Love God, love neighbor; take this bridge, Jesus said, and you will
live.
Copies of Mike's book, You Are Rich: Finding Faith in Everyday Moments, a collection of 60 similar reflections, can be ordered from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Copies of Mike's book, You Are Rich: Finding Faith in Everyday Moments, a collection of 60 similar reflections, can be ordered from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Mike - So happy to see you traveling the cyber bridge to convey your thoughts and wisdom! Love the library wallpaper - how apropos for a bibliophile like you. Will be passing this on to many of your former Monday Moments readers who will be as delighted as I to have you back in a weekly routine. Guess I'll be blogging about bridges now - as you've got me thinking as usual! ~~~Sue
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