Great Bridges: Humber

Twice I have had the privilege of driving over the Humber Bridge, connecting East Yorkshire with Lincolnshire. It is a modern marvel, but it was slow in the making. For a century, people both sides of the Humber had petitioned for it, with plans drawn up in 1933 and again in 1955. The Humber Bridge Act, which Parliament passed in 1959, only prompted actual contruction in 1972. A protest song by Christopher Rowe was even written, objecting to the many delays. HM the Queen finally opened it in July, 1981. No longer must the denizens of either side queue for the ferry or drive the long way round. Although it remains a toll road, it was a fee I did not mind paying. My travelling the bridge was not unlike a mystical experience, though I dare say the thousands who daily commute that way may have less romantic analyses of its function.

So many Old Testament saints longed and yearned to see God’s amazing plan to redeem the human race. This we call the gospel, and people before Christ knew that God would save Adam’s folk, but not how. The prophets and patriarchs saw glimpses from afar, but no more. They died and were called home before Jesus was born, yet by Him, they were saved. If travelling the long awaited Humber Bridge is a wonderful experience, how much more crossing the great Bridge to God?