Building the Bridge – with Robert, Paul and Brennan

Yesterday’s musing on the Choluteca Bridge seemed to resonate with a number of folk…

If our old bridges are secure and strong but useless, how do we build new bridges?

Robert E. Quinn describes ‘Building the Bridge as you Walk on it’. Life presents a ‘chasm of uncertainty’ that we need to cross. There are no experienced builders who have a bridge that they made earlier.

We may know where we want the bridge to go but there is not a detailed plan. Quinn says: ‘Acting on a vision that exceeds our resources is a test of our vision, faith and integrity.’ We cannot build the bridge all at once, so we ‘build it as we walk on it’.

Musing on Paul’s shipwreck in Acts 27…

• Crisis: A storm comes; the ship may sink; people panic.
• Confusion: This is a new, unexpected situation; sailors and soldiers don’t know what to do.
• Confident: Paul, a non-sailor prisoner, remains confident; he believes that his god will look after him.
• Courage: Paul remains strong in the crisis, bold in word and action.

Paul’s previous securities were taken away; he was in a new situation. Building his new ‘bridge’ required confidence and courage.

Brennan Manning, one of my heroes, says in ‘Ruthless Trust’:’ The reality of naked trust is the life of a pilgrim who leaves what is nailed down, obvious and secure and walks into the unknown without any rational explanation to justify the decision or guarantee the future…’

There may be continuing confusion or doubt; we build our bridge into the unknown one step at a time, one day at a time; we walk on it with confidence, courage and trust.

Brennan Manning, from his faith perspective: ‘…there were days when anxiety and uncertainty prevailed. Then out of nowhere came a calm, reassuring voice, ‘Do not be afraid. I am with you.’