THE DRAWBRIDGE

THE DRAWBRIDGE

Once upon a time, two men were on their noon day walk on the opposite sides of the road. One man hurries by, occupied in himself. He passes a man with a smile, his eyes taking in every glimpse of his surroundings. His hand is closed and clasped to his heart, walking along very peacefully. These two men pass each other every day for weeks. The hurried man couldn’t help notice the peacefulness of the other man. One day he crossed the road to speak to the man. “Peaceful man”, he asks, “What is it you carry in your hand, that gives you such peace? What is this secret you carry?” The peaceful man replies, “Hurried man, if you seek my peace and my secret, meet me tomorrow at noon, under the big tree, at the drawbridge, by the river. Bring with you a radio, and we will talk”. With a smile, the peaceful man walked onward, leaving the hurried man puzzled.

The next day, the two men met under the tree, one man with his hand clasped closed – the other carrying a radio. The peaceful man was in no hurry to speak. The hurried man sat fumbling for stations on his radio, tuning in only distractions. Soon the peaceful man reached over and shut off his friend’s radio and said, “Hurried man, can you not hear, my radio?” “Where is it?” the hurried man asked. The peaceful man replied, “It is in my hand; I carry it with me always. The hurried man looked closely and said “It must be so tiny – let me see this gift that you carry!” The peaceful man opened his hand, and to the astonishment of his friend, his hand was empty, there was nothing in it. The hurried man replied, “You play tricks with me, for what purpose is this?” The peaceful man spoke. “I am a radio; all of me! My mind is the antenna, my heart – the generator; my voice – the speaker; my eyes the scanner; my ears – the dial. One arm the receiver, the other the transmitter. My feet are the waves, that carry the signal, where ever I go. 

I can tune in many stations; The stations of; burdens; hardships; brokenness; loneliness; desperation; rejection. The stations of; peacefulness; love; joy; contentment; openness; peace. The microphone of my radio is the Lord. His messages are strong. Signals from far away, bring relief and love to all who listen.” The hurried man pressed on and said, “I still don’t understand your empty hand.” The peaceful man replied, “The drawbridge you see at the river is like my hand. When the bridge is up, it lets water vessels pass by on the river. When the bridge is down, it lets cars and trucks cross on its back. So too, like the bridge; are my hands; they are the same. Each one serves the same purpose. I extend them to serve. A handshake, a touch; one hand bringing in ones burdens, the other hand giving out loves peace. One touch to another – can open one’s life. One handshake, a breaking away of barriers, a new beginning. When we join hands in unity with each other, it is an anointing of the Holy Spirit. We pray with the Lord in an extension of ourselves. With our hearts we bridge together as a community; to grow; to journey; to built; to touch; to be free; to bring forth the Lord’s Spirit. It is in this strength of unity that the Lord has given to you; to open yourself to love your neighbor. The radio you have brought with you is built of resistors and capacitors. Like people, resistance to change, builds the barriers of the capacity to love. So too; is your radio’s battery. When it runs out – it dies. It needs to be recharged. It is the same with your spiritual development. It needs to be nourished with prayer. One must be open and compassionate to love.”

The hurried man put forth this question. “Peaceful man, when will I find your peace?” The peaceful man replied, “The day you crossed the road was your beginning – for I have walked on this road for many years. You have not seen me. For your eyes have been glued to your shoes. Your heart was for your own self, and your hands were in your pockets, tied to your shoe strings. Your sense of direction could not take you further than the bridge. Each day you turned around and went back, not progressing any further. You have yet to see the beauty of the river bank on the other side. When you can put forth your hands and heart to another, you will be free of your surrounded boundaries. If you seek – you shall find. These are the steps you need to take to cross the bridge. Peace will find you; if you let it!”

The two men embraced, and walked together across the drawbridge. The hurried man’s radio lay still, and silent, under the tree.

Robert J. Varrick

rjvarrick@gmail.com