The Bridge

Vast armies of men have walked across this bridge. In fact, every single human has passed it. The bridge is wide at its beginning. At this point men laugh often and dream many dreams about their future glory. However, a curious things happens as the bridge continues; it gets increasingly narrow. As certain men continue walking it, they notice that some of their companions have fallen off. They laugh less now, yet when they do it is wonderfully joyous. Their focus continues to turn from themselves to what is in their hand. Their thoughts are not about their future glory, but the future glory. Their senses are much more alive than when they first stepped onto the bridge. They begin to notice that their bodies are eroding as they stagger towards the end of the bridge. It is now evident that many are turning back, longing for the beginning of the bridge. As these turn around, they stumble off the bridge. Yet those who continue on notice their joy increasing as they approach the end of their journey. At this point, they cast off anything on them that hinders them from sprinting to the end. The one thing that they do not let go of is that which remains in their hands. The end is coming, and the bridge is so narrow now that only a few are standing side by side. At the end is a massive hand, and a deep chasm. They jump, but their bodies are too feeble to make it, and they refuse to let go of that which remains in their hands. Alas, the hand grabs them and takes them to the other side of the deep chasm. Some look over the side of the hand back towards the bridge. Seeing many men falling off they yell, "Pick up the stone!" For what they saw surprised them: men of all races stumbling over the stone which they themselves had picked up; the cornerstone which they cherished.

"For in Scripture it says: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.' Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,' and, ' A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.' They stumble because they disobey the message - which is also what they were destined for."
1 Peter 2:6-8