As many have heard, on March 26, 2024, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, MD, collapsed, and there is still a search for workers who perished in this tragic accident.

 

My question today is are you a Bridge Builder?

 

“A trio of new investigations is underway Monday to see who might be responsible for the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse that killed six people, destroyed a major thoroughfare, and crippled the local economy.”

 

Body of 4th Baltimore bridge collapse victim recovered as feds start criminal probe and others launch new investigations (msn.com)

Many of us have traveled over various bridges in our lifetime to get us from where we are to where we want to be.  However, we are sometimes unaware of the dangers ahead of us.

 

Each time I travel to Birmingham, AL, I must cross a bridge from I-565 to I-65.  I often see workers fixing the bridge and unconsciously think nothing of it.

 

Each time I travel from Huntsville, AL to Decatur, AL, I must cross another bridge to get into the city.

 

In both situations, if any accidents or people are working on the bridge, traffic either comes to a complete stop or moves very slowly.

 

I know from experience that If I have an appointment in Birmingham, I must plan for traffic challenges.

 

My intent today is to ask you if you are a bridge builder.

 

Having lived in Brooklyn, New York, and watching the building of the

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, sometimes we take the bridges we cross daily for granted.

 

Massive container ship loses power near NYC’s Verrazzano Bridge days after Baltimore Key Bridge disaster (nypost.com)

 

A cargo ship got dangerously close to hitting a New York City bridge (msn.com)

 

I continue to pray for those family members who lost loved ones on March 26, 2024, when the Dali ship hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, MD.

When I think about the impact of the Port of Baltimore, I also think about how it’s impacted the nation’s shipping hubs.

 

Supply channels are also being blocked, with a significant impact now blocking ships from entering the harbor.

 

With that said, I’m aware that the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, MD, impacted more than 20,000 people.

 

When the nation was recovering from the pandemic, the Port of Baltimore had to figure out how to build a bridge for something they hadn’t seen happen years ago.

 

As I reflect on the name Francis Scott Key, various thoughts come to mind.   The first is “The Star Spangle Banner, ” our National Anthem.

 

The second is what Key witnessed during the 25-hour bombardment of the American forces at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore from the dawn of September 13 to the following day (1814).

 

The latter is that today, almost 210 years later, the impact we feel from rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge will be long-lasting.  It will involve large amounts of time and resources.

 

However, I’m aware there is massive support for all those displaced out of work due to the bridge’s collapse.

 

Whether you have a reflection about bridge building or not, you are going to be affected by its collapse and it’s rebuilding.

 

Building bridges is sometimes used as a metaphor to “describe the act of fostering connections, resolving conflicts, and promoting understanding between individuals or groups.”

 

“One of the hardest things in life to learn are which bridges to cross and which bridges to burn.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

 

Furthermore, each one of us must be intentional in building relationships, just like building bridges.

 

Safety nets are in place in many cases involving bridge building so that workers don’t get hurt.

 

We have learned from experience that bridge building is a risky business.

 

Sometimes we must meet people where they are in our lives.

 

How can we be a person who personifies that we are like a person with no enemies?

 

I’ve seen the values and behaviors exemplify in others, with some refusing to be bridge builders based on my skin color.

 

Today, we have those of different faiths that refuse to bridge builders.

 

Today, we also have many cultural divides or barriers that separate communities of people.

 

Maybe you’re like some who “have reached the middle of the footbridge, an uncertain place of anxiety and social turbulence.”

 

Bridging the American Cultural Divide – SAPIENS

 

Cultural divide – Wikipedia

 

This week marks six years ago, and I know bridges are being crossed and built, particularly in Montgomery, Alabama.

 

See America’s First Memorial to its 4,400 Lynching Victims | HISTORY

 

Knowing that my father grew up in Birmingham, AL, less than 100 miles from Montgomery, AL, I know the bridges he has crossed and built and those he had trouble crossing.

 

Today, I can cross those same bridges my father once crossed and build on new relationships that have never happened during his lifetime as a child or even as a young adult.

 

Although many don’t care to remember the violations of the civil rights of Black Americans and what happened at the Edmund Pettus Bridge on (Bloody Sunday in Selma, AL).  It’s part of our history.

 

I will never forget the pioneers and trailblazers who made it possible for me today to cross and build bridges that can’t be torn down.

 

For that, I’m forever grateful!

 

Although the Edmund Pettus Bridge is a landmark event tied to our history, the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built around a historical site.

 

When I researched some information about bridge collapses, I found that they have fallen all around us and worldwide for years due to poor construction.

Therefore, although tragedies continue, we must not let those bridges that fall be a reason for not rebuilding them.

 

10 Famous Bridge Collapses – History and Headlines

 

10 biggest bridge collapses ever – Search (bing.com)

 

“Rather then focusing on the obstacle in your path, focus on the bridge over the obstacle.”  Mary Lou Retton