I hope the title of this blog post piqued your interest, and that you can hear the beautiful vocals of The Judds in your mind singing the song "Love Can Build A Bridge" (Curb Records, Inc. Released 1990).
The idea of a bridge has been on my mind and in my heart for nearly two years. Why? Well, while it feels like most of us can't seem to agree on anything these days, perhaps we can agree that if we had a bridge to span the gaps between the polarized sides of today's powerful arguments, maybe we'd stand a better chance of meeting in the middle. I think we're all handling the intensity of current events in different ways. Some are passionately rallying on one side or the other by writing their senators and public officials, others are boycotting certain stores and brands, while many are stuffing their feelings, remaining silent, or turning to alcohol, drugs, or anything to distract and numb the pain of disharmony, inequality, injustice...I could go on. And we're all trying to hold it together in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.
While it's not always a comfortable place to hang out, some of us live in the middle. Some people may not fully identify with residing on the "right" or living on the "left" politically. Others may not entirely identify with the impassioned sides of being wholly pro-life or entirely pro-choice. People like this find it possible to often remain calm and see both sides of a situation. If this sounds like you, perhaps you try to see a person's heart before you see what label they live under.
My point is simple. We have people on one side and people on the other, but I believe some of us are meant to be a bridge. What can you do today to lean in, to listen to someone's heart, to seek to understand?