The Bridge That Almost Wasn't Built

In 2015, the city council of Greenville, South Carolina faced a problem. The Swamp Rabbit Trail — a beloved walking and biking path — needed a pedestrian bridge over the Reedy River. Everyone agreed a bridge was necessary. But for eighteen months, the project stalled. One faction wanted a modern steel design. Another insisted on a traditional stone arch to match the historic district. A third group argued the money should go toward extending the trail instead. Three camps. One goal. Zero progress.

Finally, a retired engineer named Harold Wilkins stood up at a public meeting and said something that silenced the room: "We've spent a year and a half arguing about what the bridge looks like. Meanwhile, people are still walking the long way around."

His words cut through the noise. The bridge wasn't about aesthetics or legacy or anyone's name on a plaque. It was about connection — getting people from one side to the other.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians with that same exasperation. "Is Christ divided?" Some followed Paul, others Apollos, others Cephas — each faction convinced their leader mattered most. But Paul redirected their eyes to the only thing that mattered: the cross of Christ. Not the messenger. Not the style. Not the brand.

The church was never meant to be a showcase for human preference. It was meant to be a bridge — carrying people from death to life through the foolishness of a gospel that Christ alone makes powerful.