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The Hard Work of Building Bridges

The original version of this essay was published on May 16, 2016 in Self Talk the Gospel. 


I’m fascinated by bridges. I live in California so you can imagine the first bridge that comes to mind is the Golden Gate Bridge. Regal. Majestic. Glorious. Poppy red-by-day and glowing-with-lights by night. Iconic to the San Francisco skyline. The bridge opened in 1937 as one of the largest suspension bridges in the world, spanning the Golden Gate Strait and the Pacific Ocean.

A few years ago, I ran a half marathon with part of its route running over the Golden Gate Bridge. That experience gave me a real appreciation for the massive 4,200-foot structure that bears daily the weight of hundreds of cars and pedestrians.

Of course, not every bridge stands quite as glorious as the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ve driven a pickup truck across shaky bridges made of rugged wood in Haiti. I’ve hiked across bridges made of sturdy, wide tree trunks in Yosemite National Park. I’ve walked carefully across bridges in Costa Rica made of planks tied together by ropes.

All of these bridges serve an important purpose: to connect one part to another.

Bridges make a way. They cross a divide. They provide a passage. Isaac Newton said, “We build too many walls and not enough bridges.” I am convinced that what we need in today’s chaotic political, social, racial and religious climate is more bridges. We are too busy building walls with our words, our choices, and our votes.

My friend’s husband designs and builds bridges. He gave me this resource that describes the different parts of a bridge. There are diverse types of bridges but the most secure bridges have five parts: the foundation, the beam, the bearing, the pier cap and the pier. Each of these five parts can be engineered in different ways but each plays a vital role to the overall stability of the bridge.

I am reminded that each of us in the body of Christ has a different part but an indispensable role in building bridges. 1 Corinthians 12:17-19 highlights this: “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”

These verses have become particularly real for me since the recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia. I am asking myself again what it looks like to build bridges and to honor others as part of the body of Christ. How can I be a bridge and lift up my brothers and sisters when others are speaking words of hate?

About a year ago, I was gathering regularly with a group of eight women from around my city to go through LaTasha Morrison’s “Be the Bridge” curriculum on racial reconciliation. We come from different cultures, different economic backgrounds, and different Christian upbringings. Truth be told, our conversations about race have been hard, sometimes tense, full of awkwardness and brokenness. We are still not as diverse a group as we had hoped. Sometimes that reality weighs heavy on our hearts. We recognize that there are voices missing that are pertinent to conversations on race.

At the same time, I adore these women. Through the months, we have stumbled upon scars and past hurts, hang-ups and prejudices many of us never dreamed we harbored. We have shed tears and pride. We have cried out to God for guidance – for our country and for our world. We have also discovered surprising connections between us. We have fought for deeper friendship. And maybe that’s the point: building bridges is difficult work that requires authenticity, courage, transparency, and vulnerability.

Being a bridge requires sacrifice. It means taking time to learn the nuances of a culture different from our own. Sometimes it means bending to listen to the stories of suffering my sister has endured or leveraging my own privileges to help her amplify her voice. Let’s be real: It’s so much easier for all of us to just hang with our own people, to remain in the safe spaces that don’t require us to be uncomfortable or repent of our own prejudices.

But imagine a world without bridges. Imagine how disconnected our cities and our people would be. Jesus was the ultimate bridge example. He didn’t just build bridges between people. He became the bridge himself. 1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ”

Eleven men died building the Golden Gate Bridge. That glorious structure stands secure today because people laid down their lives. My Savior wore a crown of thorns and carried a cross up the steepest hill before the world to be crucified so we might all experience grace, freedom from sin, and His glory. He made himself the bridge for all humankind. Being a bridge means following Jesus’ lead and actually laying down our politics, our prejudices, our passions, our perfect houses, our planned-out futures and our piercing sense of entitlement in this country on behalf of others.

1 Corinthians 12:24-25 says: “But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored all rejoice together.”

Maybe it’s time we suffered together. Maybe it’s time we stopped wielding our privileges and started leveraging them for others. For example, what would happen if older leaders stood behind the younger leaders in their churches and championed them? What would happen if more white women who witnessed injustice against their Black and Latina sisters stood in the gap to help them? What would happen if more men in businesses took time to listen to women and elevate them in places leadership?

What would happen if more pastors invited immigrants and refugees to share their stories with the church? What would happen if more coaches looked their athletes in the eye and spoke words of love across racial lines? What would happen if more teachers read books with their students about the history and sacrifice of people of color? What would happen if more neighbors hung out together in their front yards instead of pulling into the garage and shutting the door?

What would happen if each one of us recalibrated our hearts to think of ways we could be a bridge?

Children’s authors Leon Garfield and Michael Bragg have written a book called King Nimrod’s Tower. The book tells the story of a boy who observes the building of the Tower of Babel. The book closes with these powerful words: “The people didn’t realize that the kingdom of heaven is reached by a bridge, not by a tower.”

My challenge today is for all of us to think about the places we are building towers in our lives and how we might build bridges instead.

 

 

Image Credit: Chris Brignola, Unsplash Creative Commons

Have these words encouraged and challenged you today? Consider signing up for my Glorygram – a regular word of encouragement and some recommendations for my friends who are trying to navigate this messy world.

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August 14, 2017 Categories: GeneralTagged: back to school, body of Christ, building bridges, christian blog, christianity, community, culture, dorina gilmore, fear, friendship, justice journey, outreach, politics, racial diversity, social justice, The Hard Work of Building Bridges

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kimberly Rose says

    May 16, 2016 at 7:33 am

    I love this! Id love to try The Bridge Church. I am a MOP!

    Reply
  2. Jane Foard Thompson says

    May 16, 2016 at 7:45 am

    Wow, what timely words. I’ve been trying to get a grasp on a godly response to the chaos. Thank you for redirecting us, Dorina.

    Reply
  3. Michele says

    June 17, 2016 at 4:24 am

    Beautiful! Such a challenging time but such a reminder to “build a bridge even though we feel like building walls” . It’s easy to let panic take over during these times.

    Reply

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  1. Weekend Roundup, August 18, 2017 says:
    August 18, 2017 at 7:04 pm

    […] I no longer have the bright blue rug in my possession, the gathering place of my classroom.  Instead, picture me gathering you to my circle. There’s room for you on the camel-colored couch in my own living room just north of Seattle.  Together we will read Dorina Lazo Gilmore’s essay, The Hard Work of Building Bridges. […]

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Meet Dorina

Aloha, friend! If you love stories, you are in the right place. I write about grief, glory, running, food, and more. I hope these words inspire you to chase after God’s glory in your life today!

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Today I got to watch my Zayla girl and her choir perform at CalPoly Performing Arts Center. What a great opportunity for these kids! I loved hearing all the choirs and the variety of pieces and styles they brought.

Afterwards we spent the afternoon with friends at Cayucos Beach and rounded out our day at one of my favorite restaurants Giuseppe’s at the Central Coast! Yummy!

These are the days I want to slow down, the days I want to savor and remember forever. My baby girl is not a baby girl anymore!

#oceantherapy #choirkid #momlife

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Mar 25

Open
Today I got to watch my Zayla girl and her choir perform at CalPoly Performing Arts Center. What a great opportunity for these kids! I loved hearing all the choirs and the variety of pieces and styles they brought. 
Afterwards we spent the afternoon with friends at Cayucos Beach and rounded out our day at one of my favorite restaurants Giuseppe’s at the Central Coast! Yummy! 
These are the days I want to slow down, the days I want to savor and remember forever. My baby girl is not a baby girl anymore! 
#oceantherapy #choirkid #momlife
16 1

Several months ago, I invited my friend to join me for a pottery class at a new local studio for her birthday present. We both love to try new things and were intrigued by the experience of using a potter’s wheel to create something out of clay.

The process of forming clay on the wheel was longer and harder than it looks.

The trick was to keep adding water to keep the clay supple and moldable. We pressed, pulled, and pinched until that ball of clay eventually became a bowl or vase.

Metaphors for life abound in the pottery studio.

A few times, the teacher came over, stuck her hands in front of me, and started to work with my clay. At first, I wanted to take control of the clay myself. I wanted to learn by doing it myself. But soon I realized the value in surrendering to her expertise. In fact, I learned a lot from watching my teacher and her techniques.

The first surprising lesson was that it requires lots of water to make a clay pot on a wheel. Clay is naturally hard and heavy, but water makes it workable.

Our souls are much the same. We need consistent hydration. We need the living water that only Jesus offers. On our own we are heavy, brittle; we are dust. With Jesus’s living water, we are malleable clay.

{Read the full devotion at DorinaGlorygram.Substack.com} #pottery #clay #potter #biblestudy #bibleverse #encouragingwords

View

Mar 24

Open
Several months ago, I invited my friend to join me for a pottery class at a new local studio for her birthday present. We both love to try new things and were intrigued by the experience of using a potter’s wheel to create something out of clay. 
The process of forming clay on the wheel was longer and harder than it looks.
The trick was to keep adding water to keep the clay supple and moldable. We pressed, pulled, and pinched until that ball of clay eventually became a bowl or vase. 
Metaphors for life abound in the pottery studio.
A few times, the teacher came over, stuck her hands in front of me, and started to work with my clay. At first, I wanted to take control of the clay myself. I wanted to learn by doing it myself. But soon I realized the value in surrendering to her expertise. In fact, I learned a lot from watching my teacher and her techniques.
The first surprising lesson was that it requires lots of water to make a clay pot on a wheel. Clay is naturally hard and heavy, but water makes it workable. 
Our souls are much the same. We need consistent hydration. We need the living water that only Jesus offers. On our own we are heavy, brittle; we are dust. With Jesus’s living water, we are malleable clay. 
{Read the full devotion at DorinaGlorygram.Substack.com} #pottery #clay #potter #biblestudy #bibleverse #encouragingwords
30 4

Such a good conversation tonight with @sarahrubiobooks about her new book, Her Story, Her Stength: 50 God Empowered Women of the Bible (@zonderkidz )

This is a book I wish I had when I was a young person. I love the way Sarah illuminates the stories and strengths of these diverse women in the Bible and how their stories point us back to God.

We pull back the curtain a bit tonight and dish about how Sarah got the idea for the book, the trials she faced during the writing, and the glory she experienced during the process!

👉🏾Which Ezer story is your favorite? Share in the comments about the woman from the Bible who inspires you! 📚

View

Mar 23

Open
Such a good conversation tonight with @sarahrubiobooks about her new book, Her Story, Her Stength: 50 God Empowered Women of the Bible (@zonderkidz )
This is a book I wish I had when I was a young person. I love the way Sarah illuminates the stories and strengths of these diverse women in the Bible and how their stories point us back to God.
We pull back the curtain a bit tonight and dish about how Sarah got the idea for the book, the trials she faced during the writing, and the glory she experienced during the process!
👉🏾Which Ezer story is your favorite? Share in the comments about the woman from the Bible who inspires you! 📚
21 3

I’m so excited to chat with @sarahrubiobooks on my Global Glory Chasers broadcast tomorrow about experiencing God’s glory through writing and reading kids books. Sarah’s new book is Her Story, Her Strength: 50 God-Empowered Women of the Bible. Join us at 5 pm PT | 8 pm ET here on IGlive!

Sarah Parker Rubio edits children’s and young adult books by day and writes them by night. She was born in the United States, grew up in Costa Rica and Ecuador, and now has a bilingual and bicultural family with her husband, Colombian composer Gary Rubio. They live in Cincinnati with their three wonderful children and two sassy cats.

In a world that too often tells girls that they are not enough, Her Story, Her Strength uses biblical retellings and reflections that include the historical context behind each story to remind young women that they have a God who loves them deeply and empowers them to live and love like he does. For any girl ages 8 and up who is asking questions about her worth, identity, and place in the world and church, this colorful and engaging book provides a positive, loving, and scriptural lens that helps them interpret the messages they receive from their peers, media, and society.

#kidlit #womenshistorymonth #womenofthebible #womensupportingwomen

View

Mar 22

Open
I’m so excited to chat with @sarahrubiobooks on my Global Glory Chasers broadcast tomorrow about experiencing God’s glory through writing and reading kids books. Sarah’s new book is Her Story, Her Strength: 50 God-Empowered Women of the Bible. Join us at 5 pm PT | 8 pm ET here on IGlive!
Sarah Parker Rubio edits children’s and young adult books by day and writes them by night. She was born in the United States, grew up in Costa Rica and Ecuador, and now has a bilingual and bicultural family with her husband, Colombian composer Gary Rubio. They live in Cincinnati with their three wonderful children and two sassy cats.
In a world that too often tells girls that they are not enough, Her Story, Her Strength uses biblical retellings and reflections that include the historical context behind each story to remind young women that they have a God who loves them deeply and empowers them to live and love like he does. For any girl ages 8 and up who is asking questions about her worth, identity, and place in the world and church, this colorful and engaging book provides a positive, loving, and scriptural lens that helps them interpret the messages they receive from their peers, media, and society.
#kidlit #womenshistorymonth #womenofthebible #womensupportingwomen
38 1

“Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory,” Mama sings. 🎶

Glory?, Zayla thinks, wrinkling her nose, “Mama, we talk and sing about glory at church, but what exactly is glory?”

“Well, that’s a good question,” Mama says with a broad smile. “Let’s go look for it.”

____

These are the opening lines to my new children’s book, Chasing God’s Glory. When my three daughters were little, we started going on glory-chasing hunts together. This was the way we would lift our heads to see God at work on ordinary days and difficult days.

The word glory is mentioned more than 500 times in Scripture. If we study the scriptures that mention it, we discover God’s glory is the very essence of who God is, His character. Glory is what sets God apart. It’s the way God reveals Himself to us. It’s His presence.

Back in 2014, I chose the word glory as my word of the year. Little did I know that this single, five-letter word would be the thing God would use to transform me, inspire me, lift me, and carry me through the most difficult year of my life. This would be the beginning of tracing His glory story in the most unexpected narrative.

I had to train myself to notice  God’s glory around me through tragedy and triumph. That was the year my husband was diagnosed with stage four cancer. That was the year my lover leaped into Heaven – the ultimate Glory – leaving me a widow with three small children. That was the year I experienced God’s glory in little girl giggles, home-cooked meals, and road trips. That was the year He showed up for us through our community who served us, fed us, collected money for medical bills, and lifted us.

God has shown me that glory is the very beginning of the story and also the grand finale…

{Read more about it at @incourage today and enter for a chance to win my new book!} 🫶🏾🚴📚🍀🌊🥰

#chasinggodsglory #glorychasers #kidslit #picturebook @waterbrookmultnomahkids #newbook #glory #creation

View

Mar 21

Open
“Rise and shine and give God the glory, glory,” Mama sings. 🎶 
Glory?, Zayla thinks, wrinkling her nose, “Mama, we talk and sing about glory at church, but what exactly is glory?”
“Well, that’s a good question,” Mama says with a broad smile. “Let’s go look for it.” 
____ 
These are the opening lines to my new children’s book, Chasing God’s Glory. When my three daughters were little, we started going on glory-chasing hunts together. This was the way we would lift our heads to see God at work on ordinary days and difficult days. 
The word glory is mentioned more than 500 times in Scripture. If we study the scriptures that mention it, we discover God’s glory is the very essence of who God is, His character. Glory is what sets God apart. It’s the way God reveals Himself to us. It’s His presence. 
Back in 2014, I chose the word glory as my word of the year. Little did I know that this single, five-letter word would be the thing God would use to transform me, inspire me, lift me, and carry me through the most difficult year of my life. This would be the beginning of tracing His glory story in the most unexpected narrative. 
I had to train myself to notice  God’s glory around me through tragedy and triumph. That was the year my husband was diagnosed with stage four cancer. That was the year my lover leaped into Heaven – the ultimate Glory – leaving me a widow with three small children. That was the year I experienced God’s glory in little girl giggles, home-cooked meals, and road trips. That was the year He showed up for us through our community who served us, fed us, collected money for medical bills, and lifted us. 
God has shown me that glory is the very beginning of the story and also the grand finale…
{Read more about it at @incourage today and enter for a chance to win my new book!} 🫶🏾🚴📚🍀🌊🥰
#chasinggodsglory #glorychasers #kidslit #picturebook @waterbrookmultnomahkids #newbook #glory #creation
53 14
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