In the 1996 movie, The Ghost and the Darkness, Val Kilmer stars as Lt. Col. John Patterson, an army engineer that is privately contracted to build a bridge in Africa. In spite of the great size of the bridge and the short time allotted for the project, Patterson believes that he will finish the bridge. He does not count on encountering two lions that the local Africans name “The Ghost” and “The Darkness.” These two kill 130 people in a nine month time span and greatly hinder the bridge project. At one point in the movie, Patterson is talking to a co-laborer on the project extolling the great glories of building a bridge. “There is nothing like building a bridge, bringing two worlds together,” he says.” In truth, there is something wonderful about bridges, especially those that make the most vital unions.
Psalm 106 briefly recounts the history of Israel’s wilderness wanderings. Recalling one point when the people of God had murmured against God, the Psalmist writes,
“Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. (Ps. 106:23)”
In this case, Moses stood in the breach between God and Israel to reconcile the nation back to God. He said on one occasion, “God, blot me out of Your book if you will only forgive your people.” This great heart of service to the people of God is what the New Testament has called a heart of intercession. Paul writes that intercessions should be offered up for our leaders and all men. These intercessions are moments in our life when we have the opportunity to stand in the breach for a dear friend or perhaps a brother or sister in the Lord. In that time of lostness or despair for them, we could be a possible bridge-builder that would bring the hope of the Gospel to a lost friend, or the reassurance of the Gospel to a struggling brother or sister.
What a glorious thing it is to build bridges. To bring the heavenly world into the earthly realm. This was the mission of Jesus Christ, coming into our world and showing us the Father. He was the light that came into darkness, wrote John in his Gospel chapter 1. And now our Lord has said, “Ye are the light of the world.” Translated: “Go and build some bridges.” Who will you interceed for with God today?
