Join the Critical Underground Operation in the Backyard of Islam
Join the Critical Underground Operation in the Backyard of Islam
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The Growing Gathering of Jesus
Interactive page 5 of 14
Take a look at these two photos of Choluteca Bridge in Honduras. It was built by a Japanese construction company that promised that its bridges were strong enough to withstand a category five hurricane. The first photo shows the bridge as it looked when it was opened for public use at the start of 1998. The second photo shows the bridge after Honduras was hit by Hurricane Mitch later that same year. True to their promise, the bridge built by the Japanese company survived the storm in near perfect condition – but the roads at either end of it were swept away and the floodwaters carved a new channel for the Choluteca River which no longer passed under the bridge! The Choluteca Bridge remained standing, strong but useless, because the path of the Choluteca River had now moved elsewhere.
The Choluteca Bridge may be a useful metaphor for churches in the West. Although we have built impressive structures, buildings, programs and systems, they were designed for a cultural river that no longer flows where it once did. The water has moved. Secularization, digital technology, and global crises have shifted the landscape beyond all recognition. Jesus is still building his church, but if we insist on guarding the bridge instead of following the river, then we will miss what he is doing.
