[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-does-a-bridge-cost":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-does-a-bridge-cost-surround":70},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":10,"columnName":51,"date":52,"description":53,"extension":54,"image":55,"meta":56,"minRead":57,"navigation":58,"path":59,"postType":60,"publication":61,"publicationUrl":55,"seo":62,"stem":63,"topics":64,"__hash__":69},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-does-a-bridge-cost.md","What Does a Bridge Cost?",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9],"Colossians",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":47},"minimark",[13,22,25,28,31,34,41,44],[14,15,16,17,21],"p",{},"On June 1 a new bridge is scheduled to open in Canada—a nine-mile-long marvel of engineering that connects Prince Edward Island with New Brunswick and the rest of the mainland. Many welcome the bridge, for it will provide an estimated 25 percent growth in tourism on the island. However, according to an article in ",[18,19,20],"em",{},"The Wall Street Journal"," (February 14, 1997), the project has sparked considerable controversy.",[14,23,24],{},"Detractors point out that construction of the bridge could damage local fishing waters. After ushering passengers back and forth for decades, a ferry service will lose much of its business. A group of native people have protested that the bridge should be called Abegweit Crossing (based on the island's original native name) rather than Confederation Bridge. Others warn the span will be dangerous in winter when high winds, frigid temperatures, and ice will take their toll. And speaking of cost, the cost of the bridge exceeded $600 million, and travelers will have to pay about $30 each time they cross the bridge. Other critics decry the loss of a way of life. Not all of Prince Edward Island residents are excited to see more traffic on this quaint land made famous by Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. The nuances of change greet anyone trading a ferry boat ride for a five-minute jaunt across a new bridge.",[14,26,27],{},"The fact is, God asks every Christian to build bridges—not the concrete and steel variety, but bridges of concern, understanding, and fellowship.",[14,29,30],{},"Fifty years ago this week, Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier when he began his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. But half a century later, racism is far from dead, and far too common even in the church. Talk of \"taking the gospel to the world\" sounds hollow if we're not willing to build bridges of genuine friendship with people from different cultures and demonstrate that \"there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all\" (Colossians 3:11).",[14,32,33],{},"Such bridges aren't built without cost, and they don't happen by accident—they require intentional, courageous decisions. They aren't built without criticism; for it's risky to reach out and safer to stay on our familiar islands. And such bridges aren't built overnight; they result from long-term commitments and unceasing prayer.",[14,35,36,37,40],{},"In ",[18,38,39],{},"Reconcilers"," magazine (Fall 1996), Glen Kehrein writes that we must go through three growth stages to overcome racism: \"Recognition—in the head\" (acknowledging the problem and making reconciliation a deliberate goal); \"Repentance—in the heart\" (genuine godly sorrow for sin); and \"Relationships—out to the hands and feet\" (getting involved with people outside our own racial subcultures).",[14,42,43],{},"Recently some of our readers told me the story of Jack Reed. Where Jack grew up, African Americans like him had to sit outside a church building on the hood of a car and watch the worship service through the windows. But someone \"built a bridge,\" and eventually Jack became a Christian. Before his death last August, he served as an elder at South Lakeshore Christian Church in Tacoma, Washington. He and his wife hosted an evening Bible study in their home, and he often mailed encouraging cards and notes to church members. Still active at age 81, Jack was passing out bulletins at the church door when he suffered a heart attack that ended his earthly life.",[14,45,46],{},"Regardless of our skin color, isn't that what we all should be doing—serving our Lord, welcoming others into the church? If your life ever has been touched by a Christian brother like Jack Reed, you'll agree: it's worth the cost.",{"title":48,"searchDepth":49,"depth":49,"links":50},"",2,[],"From the Editor's Desk","1997-04-13","On June 1 a new bridge is scheduled to open in Canada—a nine-mile-long marvel of engineering that connects Prince Edward Island with New Brunswick and the rest of the mainland. Many welcome the bridge, for it will provide an estimated 25 percent growth in tourism on the island. However, according to an article in *The Wall Street Journal* (February 14, 1997), the project has sparked considerable controversy.","md",null,{},4,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-does-a-bridge-cost","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":53},"articles\u002Fwhat-does-a-bridge-cost",[65,66,67,68],"Church Leadership","Biblical Theology","Christian Unity","Spiritual Formation","ttjma1novthoRB5vR5xYv_K2fFbn3tp-Ckr5D5FM2IU",[71,76],{"title":72,"path":73,"stem":74,"description":75,"children":-1},"What Do You Know About God?","\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-do-you-know-about-god","articles\u002Fwhat-do-you-know-about-god","Maybe you've heard about the little boy in Sunday school whose face looked very serious as he worked with his crayons and construction paper. His teacher asked, \"What are you drawing?\"",{"title":77,"path":78,"stem":79,"description":80,"children":-1},"What If?","\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-if","articles\u002Fwhat-if","What if the church didn’t exist? What if Jesus never died and rose again, never said he’d come again, and never promised to build his church upon the rock of his identity as the Christ? What if the New Testament never had been written, and the Lord hadn’t sent his followers to make disciples around the globe?"]