Bridge of Love

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” –Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

I am intrigued by bridges.

I have been over many bridges in my life…small wooden covered bridges in New Hampshire, causeways over azure waters in the Florida Keys, and my favorite—the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. Over the years I have traveled across the Mackinac bridge many times. There is a nervous tingle in my spine as I see the arching bridge in the distance and know my car will have to go over it. As I start up the bridge, I hear the metal buzz as my tires pass over the floor. I notice the fog in the distance, I watch the metal girders and wires of the suspension, and marvel how they are strong enough to hold the weight of cars and trucks. As I near the top and look down, a wave of glee washes over me as I see tiny sailboats leaving wakes in the water and seagulls wheeling in the sky. The car speeds up a little, nose downward, and before I know it, we are back on solid land with the behemoth bridge behind us.

Without that bridge, the upper and lower peninsula of Michigan would be separated by a huge body of water. People would have to rely on boats to get across, which take much longer than cars. The bridge helps us gain access to the beauties of both peninsulas, without it, we would be stranded.

Without Jesus, we would be stranded from God. And there would be no boats to get us there. A holy loving God. Sinful man. An enormous rift between us.

Paul describes how through Christ, there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love. Nothing in this world, the spiritual world, the past, present, or future. Absolutely nothing can separate us from God now because Jesus Christ is our bridge. His death and resurrection spans that enormous rift between us and God, paying the penalty for sin, so we can have access to the love of God. He is our bridge of love.

Think about bridges you have crossed. Sometimes you have to take them slowly. Sometimes weather or fog shuts them down. But with Christ, we can seek God anytime, anywhere. He waits for us with open arms, welcoming us into His love and grace, connecting our worlds, bringing us to Himself. Our human-built bridges decay, but Christ’s love lasts forever. Won’t you experience this amazing bridge of love today?

Prayer–“Lord, thank you for being my bridge to God’s everlasting love. I pray for the faith to believe that nothing can separate me from you…and ask that you show me ways to share that incredible love with others. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”