Bridges
When the road ahead meets a gap, we build a bridge to get to the other side.
That's what we do, don't we?
Humanity has never come up against a problem and said, 'Nope, can't do that.'
Yes, many will say, 'Let somebody else build the bridge.'
That's true enough.
But when there's a river to cross, everyone recognizes the need to build a bridge to get to the other side.
Ain't no mountain high enough.
Ain't no river wide enough.
Ain't no valley deep enough.
As the song goes, it keeps us from reaching our desired destination.
The gap.
Racism is a gap.
It's a mountain, a river, a valley keeping humanity from getting to where it wants to go.
Where does humanity want to go?
It aspires to a world where peace, justice, and love are the norm, not the exception.
Not something that takes every effort we have in our minds and bodies to keep and secure.
A place where peace, justice, and love needn't be fought for.
A reason why we are in this constant numbing struggle generation after generation is the gap called racism.
There have been efforts to build towards the promised land.
Generation after generation has sunk foundations, pillars of stone and steel, deep into the riverbank.
All in the effort to build that bridge.
To span that expanse.
But we keep coming up short.
The world is ruled by thirds.
It's a hard, fast rule that every problem and situation can be divided into thirds.
One-third want a solution, one-third don't care about a solution, and one-third fight any solution.
It has long been recognized by bridge builders that only one-third of the people actively help build bridges across humanity's divides.
In fact, two-thirds of the people are either actively fighting the building of bridges or are doing absolutely nothing.
The worst part is those that are doing nothing.
Letting others do what they won't do.
If we can get enough of the people who are sitting on their hands to join us, we can finish building that bridge.
How do we do it?
How do we do it?
Here's an honest answer…
I don't know.
I don't know.
People haven't listened to the words that Jesus said.
Have they?
They don't listen to Dr. King or Gandhi.
They don't respond to the voices of poverty, the tears of despair and loss.
They don't respond to the bombs of war, the bullets in our streets, our schools, our homes.
Old man racism.
That dark river out there called racism sure has a lot of people afraid.
I've been thinking, and you all can tell me I'm nuts.
We have to get up out of our seats and take as many as we can by the hand, by the heart, and lead them step by step to that brotherhood of man.
We must all actively engage with our brothers and sisters and bring as many as possible to the other side.
We also have to understand that we can't get everybody.
What we got they don't want.
Waiting on the rocks to grow wings isn't going to happen.
We can't wait for the perfect time.
Our time is too short.
Take your brother and sister by the hand and tell them we are not afraid.
We know the way across the river.
You don't have to be afraid, either.
Love is calling your name.
Hear it?
Just have to answer and cross that bridge.
It's for free and only costs you your fear.
Peace
Daniel J Frey aka Toby