Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:07] Chuck here with another weekday podcast. And I, I'm just so grateful you're here, but I want to tell you this story about bridges.
[00:00:15] When I was a kid, and maybe even today, as an old man, I. Bridges fascinate me. These unbelievable human things that stretch over what separate us, they look fragile from a distance, but when you get close, you realize every bolt, every beam, every pore of concrete had a purpose. And it all came in line and it worked, and it got us from where we were supposed to be or where we are to where we're supposed to be.
[00:00:44] You know, I, I, I'm still fascinated by it. I love to ride over a bridge. When I, when we go to Florida, I look forward to crossing the St. John's when we go to Charleston, I love to that big, beautiful suspension bridge. I love going to San Franc Francisco and the Golden Gate. I mean, all these things. I love seeing that iconic bridge, you know, when you cross over into New York City.
[00:01:08] But bridges, while they look fragile, we really do know they serve a great purpose. And they're strong.
[00:01:16] I think that's what the church is supposed to be, y'. All. All these different parts meant to move together in harmony, not uniformity.
[00:01:24] Paul writes in First Corinthians 12, this makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.
[00:01:32] Harmony, not sameness. It means we were never meant to sound identical, look identical. We were meant to sound beautiful and look beautiful together.
[00:01:43] And just one chapter later, Paul gives us the blueprint for how that kind of harmony happens. He says in chapter 13, love is patient, kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
[00:01:55] You've heard it at weddings, but it's not just for lace and tuxedos. It's for boardrooms and break rooms, for living rooms and church parking lots. Love is the blueprint. Love is the planks and the bolts that hold up the bridge.
[00:02:10] Every time you choose kindness over control, every time you listen instead of try to win, you're strengthening the bridge. Those relationships that are difficult, challenging, and worth it. Yeah, it's absolutely hard.
[00:02:27] I mean, sometimes it feels easier just walk away.
[00:02:31] But Jesus, he never walked away. His love built a bridge that crossed every failure, every label, every wall. And he invites us to build in that same direction. He says, your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
[00:02:47] That's how people will know, by how we bridge the gaps, not how loud we defend our side.
[00:02:53] So maybe today your bridge looks like phone call. You've been avoiding or forgiveness that feels one sided. Just take the first step. The Holy Spirit is handing you the tools to do so.
[00:03:07] So let's do that and let's pray. Jesus, help us build bridges instead of barriers. Help us help our love look like yours. Patient, kind and brave.
[00:03:17] Amen. Amen and amen.
