On life (103) – ”Barriers or Bridges?” – 7/12/2015

   While reading, I came across Sir Isaac Newton’s words, “We build lots of barriers, but not enough bridges.” This phrase made me recall a beautiful story. It is about two brothers who lived lovingly on two river banks. Yet, it came to pass that they clashed together, and the relation hit the rocks. In effect, each of them started building a wall higher than the other’s in order to avoid his sight! One day, a man seeking a job passed by one of them. So he hired him in his ranch. Yet, he assigned him the task of continuing the wall so that it might be higher than his brother’s. Then he embarked on a business trip, only to return and find that the man had built a lovely bridge that reconnected him with his brother.

   Too furious at the man for doing so, he found his brother hurrying to him to hug and thank him for the love he did not deserve: he was building a wall that would sever them, but his loving brother built a bridge that linked them! Thus, the brothers reconciled and returned to the love they had at first.

   Some people live to build; they never demolish. Yet, what they build isolates them from people and happiness: for not all buildings are good. Evaluate what you do in your life that you might know if it is good or bad, and if it improves your relation with God and others.

   Another barrier is the one that man builds between him and God. Thus, he lives away from God and, hence, away from peace and happiness. Furthermore, he tries to root in his mind the idea that abiding by God’s commandments is hard: for it deprives him from pleasure. In effect, he tries by all means to violate them, which is conducive to misery and self-destruction.

   Wait, then, and see to the barriers you build between you and God. Demolish them, and construct bridges that make you close to Him. Thus, you will experience His great love and true protection that shields you from the world’s troubles and hardships. Other barriers that man builds are… We shall continue.

General Bishop

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center