Ligaments

Intact bridges are great.

Bridges are constructed from one land mass to another. When a bridge is in place, there is no end to possibility of traffic, given the bridges health and capacity. Bridges make commerce of goods, transportation and wealth possible.

Nothing like a good bridge!

Bridges work as a good metaphor for relationships as well. Bridges in and for relationships connect one point of view to another, allow for traffic of ideas, and enables commerce of relationship to continue. So a bridge is a good relationship metaphor in that it allows us to visualize possibility through the use of a common everyday structure we can relate to.

But there is a limit to this metaphor when it comes to people ... humans.

Bridges are completely dependent on land masses that are stable and solid. A bridge fastened to the solid and stable may have some flexibility for environmental irregularities, but is also rigid enough to be reliable.

So a metaphorical bridge within relationships is also dependent upon stable and solid. Both parties building a relational bridge must be solid, healthy and able to sustain the bridge being built. If not, then whatever is being built will collapse.

Humans are not land masses

The problem is, we keep trying to build bridges to others who are not capable of withstanding the structural burden of the 'bridge' then wonder why there is failure in relationship. This may be a shock to some of you but potentially, humans are an unstable lot.

Ligaments; A unifying bond

I think we just need some vocabulary updates. If your goal is to relationally connect solid and stable to solid and stable, then please use the bridge metaphor when building connecting points between you and the other human.

But if you want to connect with the potentially unstable humans in your life and across your path, then you'll need something molecular, something fleshy, something that shares DNA ... you'll need to attach ligaments.

Here's today's question: 'Am I willing to connect a unifying bond from the fleshy side of me to the fleshy side of another?'

It's a scary proposition. In order to connect ligaments between you and another human, both of you will have to endure exposure. Something in both of you will have to undergo some kind of invasive surgical procedure in order for the ligament between you to be attached. Now, there's a metaphor.

Perhaps we've stumbled upon why so few humans are connecting to other humans ... its messy. There's a lot of blood and the pain sharing can be quite excruciating when we undergo the surgical procedure necessary to attach a unifying bond to someone else.

It would be difficult, if not entirely impossible to have these attachments if we didn't already have a New Testament that was full of (thankfully not an inclusive list) Jesus, Paul, Luke, Peter and Priscilla being fantastic examples of humans undergoing a relational surgical procedure in an effort to attach a unifying bond to other humans.

Here's the good news. You cannot be the bridge any more than you can be the ligament. Please remember all of us humans have one common denominator, one great equalizer and the only connection that can be or needs to be built or be the unifying bond ... God. He is the tie that binds.

But He, not you or I, has chosen from the days of the desert to the earth known Jesus, to wrap Himself in flesh. His choice is you ... the human. Our only discovery today is to decide whether or not we will be human enough for the God who creates to be connected to His creation.

Personal Note:
For those of us who knew Pastor Dan, the Youth Pastor at New Harvest, his death on Friday is a sad moment indeed. To Dan's wife, children, family, Pastor Mike, the Pastoral staff and our friends at New Harvest you have our prayers our love and our support.

Dan
A Runner