a spiritual oasis

Whether we are thinking of modern marvels like the Millau Bridge over River Tarn in France, the world’s tallest road bridge; or, one of the hundreds of ancient Roman bridges which are still standing, bridges truly are amazing. These structures have been our means for reaching a desired destination for as long as humans have looked longingly at the other side.

Physical structures, however, are not the only type of bridges that have been built. Throughout history, there have been many bridge builders who have helped us reach desirable destinations in social, scientific and spiritual realms. Just the mention of a few names makes the point: William Wilberforce, Florence Nightingale, Galileo Galilei, Abraham Lincoln, Booker T. Washington, Clara Barton and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sometimes helping others reach a desirable destination is not so much a matter of building a bridge as it is being a bridge. For example, Rosa Parks, a woman of faith and courage, stepped into the flow of treacherous waters to become the means by which others were enabled to reach a desirable destination.

In the Scriptures, we learn of Andrew being a bridge between his brother Peter and Jesus. When Andrew heard John the Baptist identify Jesus as the Lamb of God, he decided to follow Jesus. In the Gospel of John we read that “the first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus” (John 1:41-42). Now, that’s bridge building on a scale that cannot be measured in human terms. It has, quite literally, made an eternal difference in the lives of millions of people since the day this gap was spanned.

To be sure, there is a gulf fixed between humans and God because of sin. Jesus alone can span that vast chasm. As the Apostle Peter said, “Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18a). While this is true, there are millions of little canyons and small tributaries that stand between the masses of humanity and a vital relationship with God which is made possible through the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

Many do not even know this Bridge exists. Many who have heard that The Bridge exists have so much treacherous territory to cover before reaching the way that it seems like an impossible journey. This is why bridge builders are still needed in the world today. Those who have found the Messiah need to be spanning the gaps between sinners for whom Jesus died and the way of the cross which leads home.

We all know people who are standing on the far side of one of life’s little rivers. We have seen them look longingly at the other side. We may have even noticed them struggling to figure out how to make it across. We just need to reach out across the gap, look them in the eyes and say, “Jesus sent me to help you. Would you permit me to show you the way?” That’s building bridges God’s way.

© Bill Williams

2008.03.28