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I've been sorting books again. It all starts as an attempt to get rid of some more but ends in me finding little gems that have been hidden amongst the bigger ones on the shelves. I then spend the next couple of hours reading, rather than sorting, and the end result is the shelves looking exactly as they did when I began.
One such little gem is a collection of articles and stories that are featured in the newsletter of the Salvation Army, Kingston Central Church in Jamaica. As I sat on the floor, surrounded by books, I flicked through this particular little booklet and came across this story entitled ' Building bridges, not fences'. My apologies to those of you who know the story but I felt it appropriate to share it in the light of Angie's thought and reflection on Sunday 26th July about bridges.
Here is the story. ' Once upon a time two brothers, who lived on adjoining farms, fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery and trading labour and goods as needed. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding that grew into a major difference, finally exploding into an exchange of bitter words, followed by weeks of silence.
One morning a man, with a carpenter's toolbox, knocked on the door of one of the brothers asking if there were any jobs he could help out with. The farmer said yes, he did have a job for the carpenter to do and directed him to look across a creek to the farm that belonged to his brother. He explained that the previous week there had been a meadow between the two farms but that in his rage, his brother had bulldozed the land and created the creek between them. The farmer decided to take his revenge and so he instructed the carpenter to build an eight foot fence so he wouldn't need to see his brother anymore.
The carpenter said he understood the situation and would be able to do what was required. The brother had business to attend to during the day so he left the carpenter to get on with the job. When he returned and saw the completed job his eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped. There was no fence at all but a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other. Coming towards him, arms outstretched, was his brother. When they saw the carpenter gathering his tools ready to leave they asked him to stay as they had many other projects for him. He simply replied ' I'd love to stay but I have many more bridges to build'.
It's a simple story with parallels to scripture and the Christian life. It's reminiscent of the story of the Prodigal Son, sometimes referred to as the story of the two brothers and it can be no coincidence that the bridge builder was a carpenter. So what do we learn from this story? I guess we might all take something different from it. A few things came to my mind. The first was just how easily we can turn small misunderstandings into major differences. Second was how we believe our opinions are actually facts and therefore must be right. Thirdly, how much easier it is to put up a fence rather than build a bridge. Fourth thought was how hard it is to acknowledge our own part in a relationship breakdown. Finally, how necessary it is to follow the way of the carpenter of Nazareth and build bridges, not fences. Wouldn't the world be a much better place if we followed his example echoed in the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi.
One such little gem is a collection of articles and stories that are featured in the newsletter of the Salvation Army, Kingston Central Church in Jamaica. As I sat on the floor, surrounded by books, I flicked through this particular little booklet and came across this story entitled ' Building bridges, not fences'. My apologies to those of you who know the story but I felt it appropriate to share it in the light of Angie's thought and reflection on Sunday 26th July about bridges.
Here is the story. ' Once upon a time two brothers, who lived on adjoining farms, fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery and trading labour and goods as needed. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding that grew into a major difference, finally exploding into an exchange of bitter words, followed by weeks of silence.
One morning a man, with a carpenter's toolbox, knocked on the door of one of the brothers asking if there were any jobs he could help out with. The farmer said yes, he did have a job for the carpenter to do and directed him to look across a creek to the farm that belonged to his brother. He explained that the previous week there had been a meadow between the two farms but that in his rage, his brother had bulldozed the land and created the creek between them. The farmer decided to take his revenge and so he instructed the carpenter to build an eight foot fence so he wouldn't need to see his brother anymore.
The carpenter said he understood the situation and would be able to do what was required. The brother had business to attend to during the day so he left the carpenter to get on with the job. When he returned and saw the completed job his eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped. There was no fence at all but a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other. Coming towards him, arms outstretched, was his brother. When they saw the carpenter gathering his tools ready to leave they asked him to stay as they had many other projects for him. He simply replied ' I'd love to stay but I have many more bridges to build'.
It's a simple story with parallels to scripture and the Christian life. It's reminiscent of the story of the Prodigal Son, sometimes referred to as the story of the two brothers and it can be no coincidence that the bridge builder was a carpenter. So what do we learn from this story? I guess we might all take something different from it. A few things came to my mind. The first was just how easily we can turn small misunderstandings into major differences. Second was how we believe our opinions are actually facts and therefore must be right. Thirdly, how much easier it is to put up a fence rather than build a bridge. Fourth thought was how hard it is to acknowledge our own part in a relationship breakdown. Finally, how necessary it is to follow the way of the carpenter of Nazareth and build bridges, not fences. Wouldn't the world be a much better place if we followed his example echoed in the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
AMEN
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
AMEN
Note: This series of 'Pause for Thought' started on Monday 4th May. To find these previous thoughts go to the Archive section of the website listed under the 'more.....' tab at the top of the page. On the 'Daily Pause for Thought' section of the website we will only keep 2 weeks of contributions before putting them into the Archive.
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In this current situation when our church doors are closed to our normal activities but our work to support those in need continues, our normal source of funds (Sunday Tithes and Offerings) have reduced dramatically. We need your help, so that we continue to be ready to meet the ongoing needs of our community that will undoubtedly impact beyond this lock down period. If you are willing to help please visit our Just Giving Page to make a donation to this work. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bedfordsa