Crossing A Bridge
I stood on the bride pleading with my friend Lewis to come with me, but he just stood there looking at me.
"It’s your call Ace, are you going to give up this invisible friend of yours or do I jump?"
Below the bridge we were standing on, the water was lashing violently against the rocks that were a part of
the small river.
"Don’t do this Lewis. Let’s just get off the bridge and talk about this," I pleaded.
"What’s there to talk about, after all these years you’re going to dump me for this Jesus friend of yours."
"I’m not dumping you."
"Then what would you call it, I knew that this was going to happen someday."
I kept silent as I prayed to the Lord for His help.
Lewis continued:
"Why can’t we be as close as we use to be?"
"We can." I said
"Yeah, right, if I come over to your side, but why can’t you come back over to my side?"
"I can’t," I replied.
"We were like this," he said, demonstrating, by crossing two of his fingers. "You can’t make it without me,
I made you into who you are."
"I’ll always be thankful to you for what you’ve done for me. If you hadn’t found me in the ditch that rainy
night, I would have died," I said, acknowledging what Lewis had said, just before he added,
"That’s right and don’t you forget it."
Lewis looked into the water as he edged closer to the end of the long and narrow bridge. He was wearing a
long black pant and a short sleeved shirt. The sun’s light occasionally touch Lewis’ gold watch and it sent off
a bright light into my face.
"Tell me something Ace, do you really believe that this man you call Jesus came into this world to die for
you so that you can live?" Lewis asked with a soft laugh?
"Yes and He did not died for me alone, but for you as well."
"Oh come on Ace, we are alive, how can you say we are dead?"
"We are dead because of sin," I said; but he was not listening to me, he was lost in his thoughts.
"The night you came over to my house after the concert you went to, I noticed something was different
about you. I thought that I was imagining the change in you, but as the weeks passed I watched as we
drifted apart. We were so close, closer than my family and I tired to get you back, but I couldn’t"
I watched as the pain played across Lewis’ face. He looked at me, but I could see that he was miles away.
"Look around you, look at the state of this world, do you think anyone cares?"
"Yes, the Lord cares."
I knew that I had to keep him talking.
"We were doing fine on our own. We had money, girlfriends, contacts, anything, you name it, we had it."
"Don’t do this." I said.
"You said that Jesus is risen, what makes you so sure?"
"He says so and I trust and believe Him. There are also evidence of it"
Lewis said nothing, but stood looking at me. Then he said,
"You are my best friend man, I tell you everything. Who am I going to turn to now?"
"We are still friends, I will always be here for you."
"But it will not be the same. Come on Ace, you don’t need Him, we have everything."
"I do need Him, we all do."
"You are not the Christian type, don’t you remember, we use to laugh at people who called themselves
Christians? Now people will be laughing at you."
"Lewis…"
"Isn’t there anything I can say to change your mind?" He asked.
"No," I replied.
"You’re right, but there is something that I can do."
Without looking down, Lewis edged closer to the edge of the bridge, but he was already at the end.
"No!" I shouted, as I covered the short distance between us on the bridge.
Lewis’ feet slipped off the bridge, but he managed to grab hold of the edge.
"Ace, help!" he cried
With my help, Lewis was pulled onto the bridge and there we sat, breathing heavily and looking down at the
rough water.
"I am sorry Ace, I thought that if I pretend to commit suicide, I would be able to get you to give up your
new friend for the old."
I waited for him to continue,
"I now know that you are not going to give Him up."
Lewis got up and begun walking away. Then turning to look at me, he said,
"Maybe someday you can tell me more about Jesus."
"I will do that. Lewis…?"
"Yes?"
"I will return the things that you have given to me."
"I don’t want you to do that, everything you have is yours."
"Thanks." I said, getting up from the bridge.
"One more thing Ace, thanks for saving my life. We’re even."
I watched as Lewis walked farther and farther away from me. I long to call him back, but I did not. Until
one of us cross the bridge that now separates us, I know that we will never be close again.
Sadly, I turned and walked in the opposite direction as tears blurred my vision.
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