It Seems That All My Bridges Have Been Burned

Quite often we limit our sources in a search for Godly wisdom, and in doing so we miss many reminders of God's truth that can be found in this world. Paul was willing to use any source he could find to relay a godly truth. Titus 1:12-23 has Paul quoting a pagan poet to make a point, and Acts 17:28 has Paul doing the same. If a secular source can remind us of truth that has been revealed by God through His word, there is no reason not to grow from the lesson. 


A currently popular secular band may not fully understand or care about the grace of God and how Christians extend grace as well, but despite that Christians can surely be reminded of God from this source, just as Paul used pagan poetry to sometimes teach about God. The lyrics read, “It seems that all my bridges have been burned, but you say that’s exactly how this grace thing works. It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart, but the welcome I receive with the restart.”

Every child is born innocent of sin, but at some point we willingly sin and break the relationship we have with God and need to be reconciled unto Him (Rom. 7). It is here that God extends His grace, a grace that reaches over the bridge burnt by sin and out of His love and care for us and pulls us over that gapping, impassable hole to be with Him once again. In the same sense, we mimic this in our relationships with others. Often others burn the bridges that connect their lives to ours, but we extend grace to them when they desire to rebuild that relationship, and we leave the past incident behind. We do not hold it against them, or constantly remind them of the past that they had. The deed has been done, the bridge has been burned, but we’re over it now and continue on.

As the lyrics remind us also, “It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart, but the welcome I receive with the restart.” Too many Christians want their unfaithful brethren and sisters to return, but want to act like the prodigal son’s older brother at the same time. Everyone deciding to follow Christ knows the journey is not easy, but welcome restart, whether with initial obedience or a repentant return, reminds them of the love and support that will accompany them through the journey. God extends this for sure, but if His children will not, how can we expect people to really desire to journey with us towards heaven?

May we always remember God’s grace and extend grace as well.