Building Bridges

A paraphrased definition of bridge is a structure built for the safe passage of man. That passage could be from one location to another, or from one culture, ideology, or way of doing things. A bridge that is fully operational creates safe passage.

At this time on our journey in the Nehemiah Initiative, repairing the walls of the Westside, we find that we need to build some bridges. Some of these bridges will create safe passage between denominations and races. Sometimes they will cover our nakedness or our sin, meaning that their building materials will primarily be love.

We were honored on Saturday to have 45 guests for our Appreciation Luncheon and Community Action Day. Amazingly, there were approximately 22 various congregations and ministries represented. Looks like some bridges are underway, and in some cases, possibly built.

Among the guests was David Medina, City Councilman for District 5. He only intended to stay for a few minutes, but as he sat and listened to what God was doing, and felt the love in the room for the target area, he was not only compelled to stay, but ended up encouraging us to rise up and do our part in the community, advancing God’s Kingdom.

He shared his plan for a neighborhood extreme sweep, which includes Animal Care Services, Code Compliance, SAFFE officers/patrols, Public Works, Solid Waste and Graffiti Abatement. He mentioned the Bakery being torn down, and said that the City had done what it could. Now the Body of Christ needs to step up and build something in its place. A mega-bridge, spanning the chasm of government and church was being built! City government is not only helping, but also encouraging the citizens take back their neighborhood from crime and blight.

But don’t get too excited. Just because a bridge is built doesn’t mean we walk away, content with our progress, never thinking about maintenance or repairs. They need to be tended to because of stress and pressure – remember the bridge in Minneapolis that crumbled and collapsed during rush hour traffic? Obviously there was structural damage that could have used routine maintenance, which may have prevented the horrible event.

Love, Colossians says, is the perfect bond of unity. Christ said it was the second greatest commandment to love our neighbors. I believe that as we love the Westside, get to know and love the people, businesses, city officials and workers, we are going to be applying the greatest bonding agent known to man. We are creating formidable structures for safe passage.

Our prayers and acts of kindness show our love. Being willing to put our money where our mouth is shows our love. Being willing to invest our sweat to work to clean up the community also shows our love. In fact, most anything that gets us outside of ourselves and doing something for others shows our love. Our acts of kindness are a kind of embellishment, or icing on the cake, especially when we go out of our way to do them.

I have been blessed to travel around the world and see many bridges. These pictures are all of bridges I have personally crossed (except for 1 of them). I have noticed that regardless of the beauty or splendor of the bridge, the most important thing has always been safety –can the bridge hold me and my entourage; beauty therefore takes a back seat to function. Yet beyond the function, there is an incredible joy in the aesthetic beauty of an ornate and well designed bridge. It has a glory to it.

As we build we would be wise to do so from God’s perspective and build to God’s specifications. It would be expedient for us to use great love and the fruit of the Spirit to serve both those who will travel into the area on the bridges and those who are departing from the area on them. In 1 Cor. 3 the Apostle Paul eloquently speaks of advancing the Kingdom of God as a fellow workman with God Who gave him a special endowment of grace as a skillful architect and a master builder.

Dare we see ourselves as anointed to build bridges? A wise man once told me that when we lay down our agendas we become a bridge over which others may safely cross into the arms of Christ. I’ve always wanted to build bridges since that day.