This morning I woke to the news that a 984-foot-long container ship rammed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing a collapse. The incident immediately reminded me of the 1980 collapse of Tampa Bay’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge after it was struck by a freighter called Summit Venture. In that previous incident 35 people died. The extent of human loss from this morning’s collapse is unknown at this time, but early reports indicate at least two people might have died while the number of people missing is still under investigation. The collision occurred at 1:30 AM when traffic was light. There were, however, construction workers on the bridge at that time, so drivers might not be the only victims. Thus, the extent of the tragedy is still unfolding.
Bridges
There's no escaping the need for bridges on a planet with an uneven topography. From small gullies to deep gorges, Earth’s surface obstructs the easy flow of human traffic. In our ingenuity, we humans have constructed bridges and tunnels to overcome these obstacles. From simple logs to complex suspension spans, bridges make a statement that “No natural barrier impedes us from moving where and when we want to move.” The New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia, for example, crosses over a gorge about 900 feet deep with a single steel arch. Impressive.
In spite of that ingenuity, however, all of our bridges are precarious structures because of natural forces and human error. The collapse of both the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the Francis Scott Key Bridge are evidence of error. Rusting steel and raging flood waters are evidence that Nature itself poses a threat to every bridge. In other words, all bridges are at best ephemeral structures.
Human Gaps
The same ingenuity that enables us to bridge physical gaps has enabled us to bridge all gaps. Pick up your phone to connect with a distant relative.We humans can bridge any physical obstacle—at least for awhile. But human gaps are far more difficult to cross. Take the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a prime example. No bridge seems to connect the two groups. Similar unbridgeable gaps occur between religions, political parties, and social groups. We humans have spent our entire history making gaps. We have also spent our history building temporary bridges. Think treaties and truces, ceasefires and renewed fighting. Think of tenuous bridges and outside forces like a terror or subversive group hitting the bridge like a runaway ship.
Although some natural geographic barriers inhibit crossing some of these gaps, the reality is that in most instances people merely refuse to cross the bridge. Some just don't trust the bridge. Some want one-way traffic. And some would prefer to take a circuitous route, going for out of their way rather than meeting on the bridge or crossing it.
Think of the many bridges in your life. Have they been stable and trustworthy? Have they been affected by natural or human forces of decay and collapse? Have you been the architect of bridges that connect you to others? Have the bridges you have built to connect with others withstood collisions with people or events?
To live among others peacefully requires us not only to build bridges, but also to consistently maintain them. Every human bridge is a work in progress. Only constant maintenance will ensure that you can cross gaps when you want to reach those on the other side.
Bridges
There's no escaping the need for bridges on a planet with an uneven topography. From small gullies to deep gorges, Earth’s surface obstructs the easy flow of human traffic. In our ingenuity, we humans have constructed bridges and tunnels to overcome these obstacles. From simple logs to complex suspension spans, bridges make a statement that “No natural barrier impedes us from moving where and when we want to move.” The New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia, for example, crosses over a gorge about 900 feet deep with a single steel arch. Impressive.
In spite of that ingenuity, however, all of our bridges are precarious structures because of natural forces and human error. The collapse of both the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the Francis Scott Key Bridge are evidence of error. Rusting steel and raging flood waters are evidence that Nature itself poses a threat to every bridge. In other words, all bridges are at best ephemeral structures.
Human Gaps
The same ingenuity that enables us to bridge physical gaps has enabled us to bridge all gaps. Pick up your phone to connect with a distant relative.We humans can bridge any physical obstacle—at least for awhile. But human gaps are far more difficult to cross. Take the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a prime example. No bridge seems to connect the two groups. Similar unbridgeable gaps occur between religions, political parties, and social groups. We humans have spent our entire history making gaps. We have also spent our history building temporary bridges. Think treaties and truces, ceasefires and renewed fighting. Think of tenuous bridges and outside forces like a terror or subversive group hitting the bridge like a runaway ship.
Although some natural geographic barriers inhibit crossing some of these gaps, the reality is that in most instances people merely refuse to cross the bridge. Some just don't trust the bridge. Some want one-way traffic. And some would prefer to take a circuitous route, going for out of their way rather than meeting on the bridge or crossing it.
Think of the many bridges in your life. Have they been stable and trustworthy? Have they been affected by natural or human forces of decay and collapse? Have you been the architect of bridges that connect you to others? Have the bridges you have built to connect with others withstood collisions with people or events?
To live among others peacefully requires us not only to build bridges, but also to consistently maintain them. Every human bridge is a work in progress. Only constant maintenance will ensure that you can cross gaps when you want to reach those on the other side.
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