On the Blessing of Bridges

On the Blessing of Bridges

I see from the Church of Scotland’s website that the Moderator of the General Assembly was involved in the opening ceremony for the Queensferry Crossing, the spectacular new bridge across the Firth of Forth:

“The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has blessed the Queensferry Crossing. Right Rev Dr Derek Browning said bridges were “symbols of inclusion and hope”.

(http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news_and_events/news/recent/bridges_are_symbols_of_inclusion_and_hope_-_moderator_blesses_queensferry_crossing )

Now as someone who regularly crosses what I assume to be unblessed bridges such as the Clackmannanshire, Erskine and Kingston bridges, this causes me some concern.  The Moderator has not said the sacred words, “God bless this bridge; God bless this [Queensferry] Crossing, And all who travel on it” over my bridges!  Am I to assume that as I travel on them I remain unblessed because the engineering marvels themselves have not been blessed?

It is an interesting yet predictable analogy the Moderator makes about bridges being symbols of inclusion: “For people of faith, bridges remind us that faith is also called to connect people, overcome barriers and span divides.”

It so happens that I also used the opening of the new Queensferry Crossing as a spiritual illustration when I spoke to the children on Sunday morning.  I spoke of Christ as the bridge between man and God, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all…” (2 Tim 2:5,6)  

However I also pointed out that whereas there are now three spectacular bridges across the Forth – the railway bridge, the old road bridge and the new bridge – there is only ONE bridge to God for “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)  Somehow I do not think that if the Moderator had spoken of Christ as the exclusive bridge to God, rather than a vague idea of social and religious inclusion, his part in the proceedings may have been quite so welcomed.

Nevertheless, now that I am retired I can see a new and unique opportunity presenting itself – could I become a bridge blesser for hire, (viaducts and culverts also included.)  No; I am perfectly content to pass over unblessed bridges in unblessed buses and cars.