James Roebling was the man who built a suspension bridge between the USA and Canada across the river just upstream from the Niagara Falls. Everyone thought it was impossible even the best engineers of the day; but on the 16 March 1855 the bridge was completed and the first train crossed over from Canada to the United States. James Roebling made the impossible become possible.
Bridge building brings three things to mind:
- Firstly, a bridge spans something that naturally would be very hard to cross. A deep river, a chasm. A busy motorway, or even the sea. The bridge makes a way where before there was no way.
- Secondly, a bridge gives access to something that otherwise we might not be able to reach. Even though the other side of the river might appear a wonderful place to visit, the strength of the current and the distance just make it impossible to get there. The bridge gives me access.
- Thirdly, building a bridge speaks of reaching out to make it possible for folk who do not usually want much to do with each other to get together and overcome their differences.
In our world today efforts are constantly being made to build bridges between the Jews and the Palestinians. Between the two communities in Northern Ireland. Between people of different ethnic groups who find it difficult to live together as one nation, or community. At times this kind of bridge building seems more impossible than building a real bridge across somewhere like the Niagara river. Often it involves real sacrifice to make it happen.
God found a way to build a bridge but it was just a price. Jesus was sent to be the bridge between Heaven and Earth. For God to make peace with us the Son of God had to die on the cross. God took the initiative to build a bridge between Himself and anyone who is at a distance.
AT IPSWICH INTERNATIONAL CHURCH WE SEEK TO HELP FOLK FIND THAT BRIDGE TO GOD. WE ALSO BELIEVE THE CHURCH IS TO BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE FROM EVERY TRIBE, TONGUE AND NATION FIND A BRIDGE TO UNITY AND LOVE.
Mick Reynolds
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