Key: The Bridge: God’s way of bringing you to intimacy with the love of your life. This Shore: Choice to not use God’s way in relationships with the opposite sex. The River: The powerful passions we have, and the pull toward sexual relationships. The Other Shore: Married life and the proper use of the passions God gives us.
The Bridge Layout of the Land There is a bridge designed by God. It is one of His greatest and most amazing achievements. The bridge is given to mankind to bring joy and to fresh life to every generation of man. The Bridge is God’s way toward marriage, resulting in a multitude of people standing before God at the end of the age, praising God and loving him and honoring him for his beauty, holiness, integrity, goodness, love, tenderness and joy. Under this bridge roars a powerful river, the passion of sexual desire: a fast, driving, torrent of water, at times looking as if it will crash over the land and flood it. It is a violent flow of desire and passion, which has all the danger of sickness, pain, and sorrow, but has at its core the life-giving, thirst quenching, plan of God for his creation’s continuance and joy. The near shore is full of crags and rocks and barnacles that threaten the swimmer with pain and even with potential loss of life. Though initially exhilarating the plunge in the water on this shore can be deadly. The same water that can bring destruction on this shore brings a totally different picture on the opposite shore. There the water gently laps up on the shore enriching the beautiful foliage along the coast. Reactions to the Bridge Many people scoff at what appears in their eyes to be a rickety pitiful little bridge that could never hold back the torrent. They laugh at the bridge and make rude statements about those who climb onto the bridge. They believe the bridge to be old-fashioned, ignorant, and behind the times. But those who, with quaking heart and shaky legs have stepped on the bridge and felt the power of God in its solid fences and rails have learned the beauty of the bridge’s design. The Bridge is God’s way of saving you from the destructive power of the water on this shore and introducing you to the exhilaration, productiveness, and healing of the water on the other side. Qualities of the Bridge The bridge is planned and built by the same person who created the very torrent of desire that the bridge is meant to tame. The designer understands our human frailty and has a healthy respect for the power of the river. The bridge is designed to build our character and to enhance all of life—to train us how to use the power of the water effectively and safely. Approaches to the Water There are various approaches to the water. Some plunge in on this shore, giving way to the overpowering lusts and desires that are found in the heart of men and women. Those who ignore the bridge and jump into the water on this side, through all history, have been dashed against its massive boulders and crushed by the power of the water. Though they see and feel the fun and sensual pleasure produced by their water experience, they are blind to the problems they are producing for themselves socially, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. They also miss some important personal social and character development learned by those crossing the bridge. Some begin by living this dangerous life style, and learn early from the sorrow it produces, in broken relationships and deep jealousy. They sheepishly realize the designer of the bridge is smarter than they initially thought, and decide to try the designer’s way. The designer lovingly forgives those with bad starts, sooths the sores and broken skin resulting from earlier crashes against this shore. He gives them instructions on how to get on the bridge. He washes them in his water of forgiveness and peace. A few are intent on the beautiful green pasture on the other side of the bridge. They keep a clear eye and powerful focus, provided by God, to make it to the other side. They do not hate the water but are patient to wait for the enhanced beauty of the water seen from the other shore. They realize those God given passions, mixed with the security of family and the safety of life long fidelity, will produce joy and stableness. This quality of life is worth the wait. Life on the Bridge Meeting the Designer of the Bridge Life on the bridge starts with getting to know the designer of the bridge. He lives on the bridge and loves to hang out with the bridge sojourners. His presence with the walkers helps to fill the loneliness in their searching hearts. Trust in God and his ways --His faithfulness to them, on the bridge, begins to flood their hearts as they grow to know Him. His faithfulness gives stability. They are overwhelmed by his beauty, his purity, and his holiness. They see that his very nature is needed inside of them in order to make it over the bridge unharmed, healthy and satisfied. The more they see him and his nature, the more content they are on the bridge. These brave souls decide it is ok that they took the long way rather than impulsively jumping into the water, bouncing against the rocks and barnacles that slice the soul on the dangerous side of the bridge. Learning his patience, kindness, love, faithfulness and goodness give them character qualities that make the passions of desire less dangerous. He helps them see how to focus those passions in healthy and productive ways. Loneliness of Soul One of the most important lessons the travelers need to learn is that he is the one who takes away the deepest loneliness of the soul. There is a God shaped vacuum in each heart that can only be filled by God made known through Jesus Christ. Though the bridge master fills the heart with his presence, he has still left a kind of loneliness in the heart. Even for those filled with his care there is a deep aching in their heart as they look for the one who has been designed for them. The Discipline of Waiting Learning takes place on the bridge--Learning about ourselves, and about the passions and desires that God has given us; Learning about how to befriend other lonely souls on the bridge with us; and practicing skills that will enhance our ability to provide for the family that God will eventually give us. Recognition of our own weakness in our own resistant hearts comes to the light. Discipline is built into our lives through the experience. The wall of protection placed on the bridge by God himself keeps the waters from overflowing and causing our feet to slip. Some will not reach the other side of the bridge. Their physical life will end before the other side of the bridge. But they will tell you, that though they did not find the person they were hoping to find, they enjoyed the bridge and were taken into the loving arms of a Great God who comforted them in his intimate love. The Joy of Finding But for many, a special person created by God to be their perfect opposite number will suddenly appear by their side on the bridge, both looking to the master of the bridge, wrapped up in his unprecedented beauty. First they talk of their love for the Lord and find that the talking enriches their soul. The traveler reaches to grab the hand of his fellow sojourner. They continue to walk, now at the middle of the bridge. Life is full of new experiences. They get to see life through the eyes of another and are thus enriched. This soul mate gives the world a new glow and luster. Tendency toward Exclusivity At times they are so enamored with this opposite of theirs that they almost see them as an object of worship, but quickly come to realize they are only God’s gift and not God Himself—that this person is a beautiful, personally selected and designed, though imperfect, gift from the one who has no equal in wisdom or creativity. Some relationships get dull and closed in, stuck in the position of mutual worship all the way to the end of the bridge. These couples loose connectedness to friends and responsibilities in life. Rather than the relationship enhancing the whole of life, their view is narrow and only toward each other. A Wide World of Service Together Those who continue to look to God, who strengthen their new friendship with the work of the king, and enjoy the friendships of many other travelers, find a greater sense of growth together. They enjoy sharing their experiences with one another and learn from each other’s trials and joys. For these couples their understanding of life grows, and their productivity for service to their fellow journeymen is enhanced and the effect multiplied as they use their partnership to live the golden rule. Danger Close to the Other Shore Getting close to the other shore, the time just before marriage, danger signs are posted on the bridge. Be careful not to be alone together too much, the undertow can get you good. As they get near the water’s edge again, though at the far shore, passion is strong and the power of it weighs on their souls. Very near the water’s edge some, ignoring the warnings, jump over the edge before completing the journey. They too can find solace in the arms of a loving and forgiving God, who understands their frailty, and helps them get safely to the other shore, though a bit wet in the journey. Those few who persevere and keep the focus, make it to the other side for the bridge, wiser, enriched, and filled with joy and expectation. As they marry, they walk on to the other shore and now rather than being destroyed by the raging river, are suddenly swept up in the river’s life giving currents. The love they have learned, the faithfulness they have battled to keep, the joys of victories won and the struggle of losses along the way have molded their character, hardened their resolve to love, tenderness, and faithfulness. The intimacy of that exhilarating walk across the bridge is culminated in the life together that enriches them both and builds foundations in their lives which will give them strength to train another generation about the treachery of the water and the power of the bridge. The Moral of the Story The person walking is all of us who make moral choices in our lives. God has a plan to use all of the passions he has given us in a way which will enhance our lives and the lives of others around us. When we do not wait for his plan and timing we miss something very rich. The relationship developed in going God’s way is deeper than physical passion, but is a full rich life of meaning, purpose and love. All of us have fallen prey to the power of the water. If we have not followed God’s plan for the use of our passions we can simply pray to God to ask his forgiveness and then to ask him for power to, from this point on, follow his ways. Jesus said, “I came that you might have life, and have it abundantly”. Other Related Topics
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