In our day and time, there are many gulfs between people. There are long-standing divisions between countries and groups of people. One only needs to listen to the political ads on television and radio to here the anger hatred that flow between people over ideological differences. How much more so, when there are serious ethnic and racial differences that divide us and make communication more difficult? Personally, I find it very difficult to deal with someone who has betrayed me or broken my trust. When someone has done something to directly hurt me or my family, it is like a huge gulf has opened up between us, and only the most amazing act of repentance or reconciliation could bridge this gulf. Often these gulfs begin quite small, but over time, with misunderstandings and miscommunication, they can grow larger and larger. We all know of people who are angry with someone else, so they refuse to talk to the person any longer – and even more, they may get upset with us, if we talk with that person ourselves.
When there is a strike at a company, like the one currently threatened at Genesys Hospital, a mediator is called in to help the two sides to talk with one another. The mediator serves as a bridge between the two sides, helping them to communicate, working toward mutual understanding, and attempting to enforce accountability. A mediator plays an important role in bridging the gap between people.
In our faith-lives, there is a huge gulf between us and God that is called sin. St. Paul says in Romans, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…(Romans 3)” All have sinned and continue to sin. Even when we try to live according to God’s will, St. Paul would remind us that we cannot on our own power ever meet God’s expectations. In fact, at times we really mess things up, hurting those close to us and destroying our relationships with them and God. This past week, someone I have known for some time was caught doing something truly dreadful. This individual, his family and friends, his church, and countless others will pay for his crime for many years to come. His sin will lead to a huge gulf in those relationships that will probably take many years to close.
The good news about the gulf between us and God is that there is a bridge over this gulf –a bridge called, “Jesus”. Jesus came to be the mediator between God and humanity (I Timothy 2), paying the price for our sins, granting us forgiveness, and giving us a new relationship with God. This forgiveness is God’s free gift to us, and there is nothing that we need to do to earn this gift. Jesus bridges the gulf between humans and God, and nothing can ever separate us from God’s love – this is God’s promise (Romans 8).
The bridge does not guarantee that we will not still have differences with other people and that we will not be separated from them. It also does not mean that there are not consequences for our sins or the times when we hurt those around us. We are all still human, and we will still have broken relationships that lead to misunderstandings and gaps between us. At the same time, Jesus calls on his children – all of us – to work to bridge the gaps and begin to act as mediators ourselves. When asked how often people should forgive others, Jesus told his disciples seven times seven times, which meant that they should forgive them continually and completely.
As Christian people, we are called to be bridges and to live as peace-makers. Not only are we to forgive those who have hurt us, but also to encourage others to work toward forgiveness as well.
Rather than building walls, Christians need to be people who build bridges. Followers of Jesus need to live in ways where we are pointing to Jesus through all we say and do. One of the greatest witnesses that we can make is when we offer forgiveness to someone who has hurt us greatly. It is easy to forgive a good friend, but can you forgive an enemy? Can you imagine a place in God’s Kingdom for the person who hurts a child or abuses the elderly – is God’s grace that big? Personally, who do you need to forgive in your life? Can you let Jesus be a bridge-builder, not only between you and God, but also between you and someone who has hurt you or someone else? How would Jesus call on you to “Be a Bridge”?
