The Bridge Between Us

Category: Spiritual Bridges

Humanity shares a spiritual need, we long to connect to the divine, through relationships with our creator and fellow man. Our spiritual needs point us to our need to worship something or someone with our lives, the question becomes who or what is worthy of the worship of our lives?

  • The Bridge Between Us

    So I have been pondering the significance of bridges between humanity. What is it that defines our common experience, at it’s core? What unites me with fellow believers in Christ is our faith, but not all of humanity believes. The common thread between us, that I see, is our need.

    Maslow’s pyramid of basic human needs helps lay out the needs of humanity, from the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, rising to the top towards self actualization. The premise of the theory is that our needs build upon each other, and we only rise to the top as the needs at each layer beneath are met. Psychological needs, like the need for love and friendship, are in the middle of the pyramid. You should look it up sometime and see where you are and how you can climb to the top of the pyramid, if that’s what you want to do, if you want to become all you are able to be.

    And we share all of those needs, whether we have them met or not, the need for connection, and the need for love, always exists, always throbs within us.

    I’m going to explore the bridges we build over the course of our lives here, and sometimes I’ll draw from personal experiences, sometimes from theological and maybe sociological perspectives. As I am a person of faith, while I do not see it as my mission to convert anyone with this blog, I reserve the right to share the relationship I’ve become most passionate about over my lifetime, my relationship with Jesus Christ. I have found that when every human bridge has failed me, Christ’s bridge into my life through the cross remains.

    Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. I will respond as I am able, and while I am happy to encourage you, I will remain anonymous. Here is why.

    We feel a certain amount of freedom to share our lives when we know there will be no judgement. That’s what I would like to be to you, a person of love, and peace, not condemnation and judgement. I know my worldview won’t always mesh with everyone who visits this site. But I want you to know, I can put it aside to minister to your core, if that’s what you need. This world can be a lonely place, and if you are reaching out to me, for whatever reason, I know you are looking for a human connection, and love. Just to know there’s at least one person out there on the planet who cares, that’s a really weighty need. I am there for you, I will lift you up in prayer, and I will encourage you to build some bridges with the people physically and tangibly connected to you as well. After all, we are in need of touch in our flesh just as much as in our spirit.

    You know me. I am your daughter, your sister, your brother, your mother, your father, your cousin, your neighbor, your priest, your pastor, your teacher, your professor, your best friend, your grandparent, your heart. I am someone that loves you. I thank you for the connection we’ve shared over the years, or maybe days, and how you have shown love to me. I am a better person because I have known you.

    Here you will hear my gratitude for the bridge between each of us, between all humanity.

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  • Masks- The Bridge of Hiding our Vulnerability

    The Bridge of Masks

                   I attempted to start this blog months ago, but haven’t kept up with it. I’m so sorry! My goal for this next year it to write at least one entry a week, which sounds easy but is actually hard to guard the time needed to explore a post in a deeper manner. Nonetheless, I will attempt this and see what God has in store for this blog and how it may encourage you. So I ask for grace, patience, and prayers as I start to unravel the commonalities all of us share. There are so many and it can be hard to know where to start. But God is impressing this topic upon my heart. I want to look these next few moments at humanities need to wear masks.

                   I’m writing this post from Taiwan where I am on a missions trip for the week. It’s three in the morning, but because of jet lag, my body thinks it’s time to go! And my mind needs to expunge this thoughts, who knows if this week I will have the opportunity to share them, but I pray I do, because I think this is a message that can help many sort through their emotions in a constructive way.

                   Masks are a funny object, aren’t they? We wear them to disguise ourselves from recognition. Some wear them for protection from pollution, some think they protect from sickness. In 2020, the world was forced to put on masks. Many capitulated to this demand, but many of us rebelled against it. I was in the latter category.

                   I hate masks. They provide a false security to us. They cover our God given smiles and create fear instead. They keep people from seeing our true emotions. They isolate us from the people around us.

                   I remember in February of 2021, I found myself in the mental hospital at a peak time of fear in the pandemic, and masks were required. I found myself being very rebellious and losing the mask any time I could. There were moments I was forced to wear it so I wouldn’t get a shot, but I got away with not wearing it a lot of the time. I wasn’t scared of a virus. I was scared of us losing the ability to connect with our fellow men. We need to see the emotions and expressions on each other’s faces. Masks cover up one of the most important ways we communicate with each other.

                   Now, there are the literal masks we wear like those forced on us in 2020, but there are also masks of a figurative nature.  These masks are not visible to the naked eye, but we all wear them. These masks help us hide the undesirable emotions we experience from the people around us. They keep others at a distance, never really knowing the pain we have inside. And they can even steal our lives, if we are not careful, as they isolate us from the connections we need to exist, survive, and thrive.

                   I’m thinking about masks right now, because this is the time of year many are hiding the pain in their hearts from the people around them with a smile and a happy face. Christmas can be a very joyous season, but it can be difficult for many as well. Maybe you lost a loved one at Christmas time in the past. Maybe you are suffering from depression. Maybe  you are even despairing of life. Maybe you are lonely and wishing you had a friend, or spouse. Maybe for you, Christmas time is actually one of the hardest times of the year. And maybe at this season, you have put on a mask to protect yourself from being exposed to the people around you. You are ashamed of your true emotions and feelings, so you hide them away. I think we all do this to some extent, for self-preservation. But I want you to see how Jesus dealt with our masks. Jesus had a way of taking off the mask of whoever He spoke to, and getting to the heart of heart, so to speak. And I want us to look at John chapter 4 together, where Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well.

                   We know that Jesus was Jewish, and they avoided interacting with the Samaritans, and it is surprising he approaches this woman for a drink. He is setting her up, though, because He begins to offer a different drink, a drink of living water. But he has to expose a first mask, He has to take off this mask of nationality, of race. He has to create commonality between himself and the woman, so that she knows he is safe to approach and she can let this mask down.

                   We see again another mask she wears as she hides behind her physical needs. Jesus is talking about living water, something she’d never heard of, but she’s still thinking about her earthy physical needs. She’s not quite ready to expose her true need to Jesus. But He is about to cut to the chase. He knows her deepest need, and He exposes it to her, to draw her into a relationship with Himself, and with the Father.

                   This mask is the mask of morality that she is wearing. It is a mask that keeps her from exposing her sin. But Jesus gently removes this mask as he speaks and opens up the subject of her sin. “You’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.”  Jesus knows what’s behind the mask she is wearing, and he wants to get to the heart of the matter: worship.

                   We cannot truly worship the one true and living God with a mask on. We are hiding from God, our creator, who knows everything about us already. We are hiding from our sin instead of confessing it to the Father. We cannot see our need for salvation from our sin if we deny the sin we carry deep inside our hearts. So we cut ourselves off from the relationship we most need, the only relationship that can save us and set us free.

                   Worship is a heart issue, and make no mistake, God is after our hearts. Even though our hearts are wicked an deceitful, God promises to give us a new heart, a heart of flesh. A heart that’s not hiding from Him, that’s not pretending with self-righteousness, that’s not cowered by fear. He wants to give us a heart that can worship in Spirit and in truth.

                   I want to challenge each of us this holiday season.  Some of us are holding onto a mask, hiding ourselves from our communities, and trying to hide ourselves from God. When we are hiding behind a mask, no one can see our true needs, and we isolate ourselves more in despair.

                   If you find yourself clinging to a mask this Christmas, my challenge to you is to find a friend, or a few friends, you can open up to with your real needs.  Not everyone needs to know your deep dark secrets, so please don’t just open up to a stranger on the street!  But, we all need relationships we are safe to be open and honest in.  We need to be known. And we need to know, even with our struggles and sins, we are loved, by the God of the universe who created us, and by the people around us.

                   Maybe you aren’t the one clinging to a mask right now though. Maybe you are in a healthy place emotionally, and are comfortable being honest in your closest relationships. My challenge to you then, is to look around you and discern, who is wearing a mask right now, and how can I help meet their need.  Maybe this person needs a friend to listen to them. Maybe this person needs to know they won’t push you away when they share the pain in their heart. And maybe this person needs the love of Jesus you have, and the hope you can share from your heart.

                   Jesus came into the world to take off the mask we wear, the mask of covering our sin. We have masked ourselves since the beginning of creation, when Adam and Eve first sinned and created masks of fig leaves to cover their nakedness and shame. He is the God of the universe who knows us inside and out! He knows our sin, and He knows our need. And on the cross he dealt with our masks once and for all. He showed us why we wear masks, to cover our sin, and He absorbed our sin into His own body, giving us the safety of being able to approach a Holy God with His blood covering our sin. And He freely offers forgiveness and the privilege of living mask free in the only relationship that can set us free.

                   Let this Christmas be a time of deep fellowship and love within your communities. Be real, talk about your needs, be vulnerable, and see where God will bring healing. This year, don’t settle for the superficial values of this world. This year, help create relationships of depth and love.  Let down your mask, be real, and experience what people need the most: to be known, and to be loved.

  • The Power of Connection: Strengthening Relationships

    In this post, we delve into the importance of strengthening relationships and fostering meaningful connections. Explore practical tips and strategies for building stronger bridges with those around us, from effective communication to acts of kindness. Learn how investing in our relationships can bring joy, support, and fulfillment to our lives.

  • Embracing Change: Navigating Relationships Through Life’s Transitions

    Life is constantly changing, and so are our relationships. In this post, we discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with navigating relationships through life’s transitions. From moving to a new city to starting a new job, discover how to adapt and maintain meaningful connections as we build bridges that withstand the tests of time.

  • The Art of Listening: Building Stronger Bridges Through Active Engagement

    Effective communication is the foundation of any successful relationship. In this post, we explore the art of listening and its role in building stronger bridges with others. Discover the power of active engagement, empathetic listening, and understanding in cultivating meaningful connections that stand the test of time.

  • The Gift of Empathy: Creating Deeper Connections

    Empathy is the key to forging deeper connections with others. In this post, we explore the transformative power of empathy in building bridges between individuals. Learn how to cultivate empathy in your relationships and discover the profound impact it can have on understanding, compassion, and the sustainability of meaningful connections.

  • Building Bridges for a Better World: Spreading Love and Kindness

    Our relationships have the power to create a ripple effect of love and kindness in the world. In this post, we discuss the importance of building bridges that promote understanding, respect, and compassion in our communities. Explore how small acts of kindness and intentional connections can make a significant impact in creating a better world for all.