Water...uh, over the bridge

Bridges are obvious and multiplex metaphors for ministry in culture.

Accordingly, three photos to stir you up.
First, this one.
According the the caption: "BRIDGE MADE OF WATER: Six years, 500 million euros, 918 meters long.......now this is engineering! This is a channel-bridge over the River Elbe and joins the former East and West Germany, as part of the unification project. It is located in the city
of Magdeburg, near Berlin. The photo was taken on the day of inauguration."

Easy apps: We need to be more "fluid" as we build brides between church and culture..

Secondly, this photo below from a presentation by Brian McLaren,
of the Choluteca Bridge after Hurricane Mitch made it

useless, was used as an image of the church. Since the hurricane displaced the bridge, someone from a village on one side can wave at, but not cross over to see anymore, folks on the other side. The bridge is now a tourist attraction. It was a much cherished gift from the Japanese; it withstood the storm, still looks good, but is useless . USA Today caption:
“The graceful arches of the New Choluteca Bridge stand abandoned, a white concrete sculpture far from shore, linking nothing to nowhere....The Choluteca bridge itself is perfect… except that it now straddles dry land. Mitch changed the course of the Choluteca River, and there is water where the access roads used to be ... Now, there is no solution… it is very difficult to change the current. [The river] is in a totally different place.''

As they say, "If that dog...", uh, bridge won't preach, I dunno what will.
See more of how MacLaren uses this photo as a teaching point on story
are of the exact same bridge the authors of "Lost in America: How You and Your Church Can Impact the World Next Door" mentioned, the point is the same. Some bridges are built from both sides, and meet in the middle.

(Later note: I added a video of McLaren about the bridge below)

If I have to draw out the implications of that illustration for church and culture, you are on the wrong website.(:


Ironically, these "newer paradigm" or emerging metaphors of the bridge are more "fluid" and more bridgebuilding than the last century's classic modernity illustration of "The Bridge." Not to say I still won't draw it on a napkin once in awhile..in fact, we still have it on our church website...on a page that hasn't been updated since last millenium!

Bridge that!

Newer vid of McLaren and the bridge