The Grace Bridge by Drew Kingery
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7
Grace is defined as “an undeserved favor or gift, something that is not earned but freely given.” We count on God’s grace and the bridge he built in our relationship with him.
As we were flying home from our vacation, the sunset was a beautiful shade of orange, red, and different shades of blue. Just stunning. You could see the line between darkness and light. I could see all the lights of the cities and small towns we were flying over.
I couldn’t help but think about those who were in the dark, perhaps searching for a bridge of hope or grace. Perhaps to help heal a relationship or an illness. Perhaps looking for forgiveness for some past or present transgression, trying to find their way out of the darkness into the daylight. Then you have those on the other end of the sunset, which is sunrise. They are hiding from who they are or what they do in the nighttime, when no one can see them. In the song
“Daylight” by David Kushner, the main refrain is “Hiding all our sins from the daylight, runnin’ from the daylight.”
A couple more lines from his song fit my story well. “Can you spare any mercy you might find if I am on my knees?” and “Deep down, way down, Lord, I try, try to follow your light, but it’s nighttime, please don’t leave me in the end,” and
“I’m beggin’ for forgiveness.”
All these are prayers for mercy and forgiveness. In Philippians 4:4-7, we are told that “in every situation, by prayer and petition present your request to God.”
In Kushner’s lyrics, he is reaching out for a bridge. With the coming of Christ, he gives us grace and the bridge we need to have a relationship with God.
DREW KINGERY