• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young

Chasing God's glory down life's unexpected trails

  • About Dorina
  • Speaking
    • Events
  • Books
  • Podcast
  • Running
  • Culture + Travel
  • Blog
    • Freebies

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.

Share2
Tweet
Share
Pin
2 Shares

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

Trackbacks

  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. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

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!

Find me on Social Media

Categories

  • Book Reviews
  • Culture
  • Featured
  • General
  • Guest Blogger
  • Navigating Grief
  • Podcast
  • Recipes
  • Running

Recent Posts

  • Our Top 10 AAPI Chapter Books July 26, 2022
  • On butterfly wings: No Shame in Going Gently July 15, 2022
  • 5 myths and 1 important truth about grief July 6, 2022
  • When God meets us in ocean waves June 7, 2022
  • 10 picture books by AAPI authors you should add to your bookshelf May 28, 2022

Popular Posts

  • Celebrating a Heaveniversary: 10 ways to honor a loved one’s death
  • 10 meaningful sympathy gift ideas for widows and families
  • My refuge: Resting under the shadow of His wings
  • 10 creative ways to honor a loved one’s memory (and clean out the garage)

Tags

abundance behold brave christian blog christianity christmas community compassion cooking courage creativity culture death dorina lazo gilmore family life fear finishing well flourishing food stories friendship gifts Grief haiti hope identity Incourage essays inspirational kids laughter Main dish margin marriage parenting passion relationships rest self-care serve sharing faith social justice struggle transitions wonder world travel writing

Before Footer

👀 Seeing this book baby on Amazon for pre-sale today made my day! I can’t wait to for you to hold her in your hands next Spring when she enters ...

View

Aug 15

Open
👀 Seeing this book baby on Amazon for pre-sale today made my day! I can’t wait to for you to hold her in your hands next Spring when she enters the world! 📚 
📖 When Zayla asks her mom to describe God’s glory, Mama knows it’s time for an adventure! Together, Mama and Zayla discover how sunrises and dancing, daffodils and green peppers, kind words and loving hugs—and more!—are all reminders of God’s glory. ☀️ 
🥳 Huge shout out to @alyssadeasis for creating this gorgeous cover! 
👉🏾Where did you see God’s glory today?
🏷 TAG a friend who might like this multicultural book for kids of all ages! 
Pre-order using this link: https://amzn.to/3dymw2w or DM me and I’ll send it to you!
#kidlit #picturebook #bookcover #bookcoverdesign #glorychasers #weneeddiversebooks #multiculturalbooks @waterbrookmultnomahkids #kidsbooks #christianbook #jesusgirl
151 43

Today I’m walking through Psalm 96 with you. This one kind of just puts a spring in my step. I can hear the music behind the words! 🎶

...

View

Aug 12

Open
Today I’m walking through Psalm 96 with you. This one kind of just puts a spring in my step. I can hear the music behind the words! 🎶 
I’ll be honest. I’ve been feeling wonky and weighted this week. I just turned in my book Tuesday and then had to tackle my mile-long to-do list and get my kids ready to go back to school. 
I woke up feeling down but this praise psalm lifted my head and reminded me who God is. I can lean on him and count on His character when I feel weary.
🌥Friend, how are you on this Friday? How can I pray for you? 
#devotional #prayer #biblestudy #encouragingwords #jesusgirl @incourage #glorychasers #hisword
25 14

I loved this conversation we had on Episode 10, Season 2 of Eat Pray Run with Gena Anderson. Gena is a Jesus-lover, writer, and nurse practitioner who...

View

Aug 12

Open
I loved this conversation we had on Episode 10, Season 2 of Eat Pray Run with Gena Anderson. Gena is a Jesus-lover, writer, and nurse practitioner who loves to share wellness information and inspiration to the world around her. She is the author of The Well Woman: A Journey to Wellness Through Loving Jesus. She proudly holds the title of wife, mom, and the world’s most average CrossFitter. She shares why rest and meekness are strengths!
🎧 Listen anywhere you find your podcasts! 🎧
28 7

✏️ First day of school for my 5th, 8th, and 11th graders! We love how our school kicks off the year with a Convocation, including worship, prayer ...

View

Aug 11

Open
✏️ First day of school for my 5th, 8th, and 11th graders! We love how our school kicks off the year with a Convocation, including worship, prayer and encouragement for students (and parents!)
I will miss my girls - as I always do this time of year - but I’m excited for what God has in store for them this school year! 
👉🏾Are your kids back in school? What grades are they going into this year? 📚
#backtoschool #schoolgirl @fresnochristianschools #fresno #jesusgirl
143 7

📚 This summer I helped co-lead a book club for women leaders with @sybilkolbert & @mari.tuten We read Ruth Haley Barton’s 📖 Strengthening ...

View

Aug 11

Open
📚 This summer I helped co-lead a book club for women leaders with @sybilkolbert & @mari.tuten We read Ruth Haley Barton’s 📖 Strengthening The Soul of Your Leadership. 📚  This was such a powerful book that both challenged and inspired our group. 
Ruth Haley Barton invited us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Each chapter included a spiritual practice for soul nourishment. 
I loved the way she unpacked the story of Moses and his leadership journey. This book came right on time as I’m discerning next steps and next projects. 
👉🏾Do you have a process for discernment? What are you saying yes and no to this fall? 
@ruthhaleybarton #discernment #jesusgirl #leadershipdevelopment #leadership #womenleaders @leadloved #leadon #sabbath #soulcare
53 12
FOLLOW @DorinaGilmore

After Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2022 • Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young • Privacy Policy

Breathing Through Grief Resources
Name(Required)