MY FRIEND POINTED FROM
THE CAR. ‘Over there,
that’s part of the
aqueduct!’ I stared at her in
disbelief. I knew Segovia. I’d seen
its Roman aqueduct countless
times. It spanned a wide avenue in
the city centre... but we were
nowhere near! What I hadn’t
realised was how far it reaches. For
hundreds of years, it delivered
life-giving water to the whole area.
Similarly, when we ‘build bridges’
of reconciliation – forging
connections with someone from a
different background or letting go
of ‘being right’ to rescue a
relationship – we may think we’re
only crossing a small divide, but
the effects can reach beyond
our imagination. Bridges connect
whole communities, allowing
the movement of people and
life-giving resources. They
bring freedom.
Conversely, when a bridge is
damaged or remains unbuilt, our
world shrinks. Innocent bystanders
are affected, unable to move.
Supplies vital for life are held back.
When we refuse to build bridges,
often it doesn’t just hurt us but
those who have nothing to do with
the feud. Never is this more
obvious than in war but equally, it
can apply to personal situations.
At times the gap isn’t hard to
bridge. At others, the divide seems
vast, and you squint into the misty
distance wondering if this is
even possible.
How can we be bearers of such
reconciliation? How can we pray
for this, for ourselves, our
relationships and the world?
First, we must recognise our own
Bridges of peace
Clare O’Driscoll looks at the importance of prayer for peace and
reconciliation
need. The reconciliation God offers
is like a single arch bridge. In Jesus,
one swooping act of redemption
filled the divide. We cannot build
this; we simply choose to walk on
it through confession and
repentance. Arch bridges are
weighted at each extremity, to stop
them moving apart. This bridge is
anchored in the human and the
divine, connecting our deepest
being with God’s love.
Pray we will recognise God as our
source of all and step onto this
bridge in confession. Next we look
at building bridges across our own
personal chasms. We need
wisdom. This work can be painful,
backbreaking and humbling.
Build anyway. Send the first text,
make that call. Include the person
who’s on the margins. Pray for
grace to see another’s point of
view. Remember we are held and
not alone. Perhaps, like a
suspension bridge, we are
supported from above. The grace
we receive from that first bridge
teaches us how to build
the second.
Pray for understanding and
forgiveness. Pray for strength to
take that first step on the bridge,
trusting it will hold the weight of
our pain. Go softly but go with
courage. Finally, we intercede and
mediate for peace, building bridges
between others. It can be too easy
to let our feet sink into the mud on
one side of a gulf. Instead, we
should seek to bridge the divide
with truth.
In the 1987 Zeebrugge ferry
tragedy, a man called Andrew
Parker laid himself down and
became a human bridge so others
could cross a water-filled gangway
to safety. Can we lay down self to
be human bridges in our world and
community? Can we mediate to
help others find peace?
Pray for bridges between others.
Pray for organisations working for
peace and reconciliation in an
official capacity.
A strong bridge endures, often for
centuries. If we build well now –
far reaching bridges of
reconciliation, anchored in God –
these will provide peace and hope
for generations to come. Blessed
are the peacemakers, The ones
who reach, stretching out, across a
divide to find common ground
with their fellow humans. The
bridge builders.