Jesus is still the Way, Peter is still the bridge builder, but some parkour is order these days

As a shortcut on the way home the other week this ready-to-crumble-at-any-second bridge which had been closed off to all traffic months ago – and surreptitiously re-opened by locals, of course – was just begging to be crossed as a parkour challenge for Sassy the Subaru. Challenge accepted. Hard to tell in the picture, but the landing on the far side is a rock cliff perpendicular to the bridge, like, right in front of it, making it impossible for longer vehicles to negotiate the 90 degree turn. Frequently enough, the sides of the bridge are taken out by longer trucks whose truckers are frustrated, angry and, then, imprudent. We haven’t had any trucks in the river, yet, but it comes close. But this closure is about foundations, the pilons. Sassy is tiny, so… jump!…

The picture above is taken through the windshield. On the dash I have a folded American flag, whose reflection shows up in the picture, but I don’t really see it at all while driving along. Cameras are funny that way.

Meanwhile, whatever the Way of Jesus looks like, like certain death (and it is just that, certain death), His Way is the Way of Truth and Life. As the Master so the disciple doesn’t just refer to laying down our lives for friends as the greatest love, but in that very action to live His Life in Heaven forever: as the Master so the disciple.

Meanwhile, whatever the bridge looks like, the ad hoc bridge that Peter, the Pontifex, bridge builder, is constructing for the sake of unity with the unmanipulatable Living Truth who the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity is, a bridge which, because of the fallenness of the Successor of Peter, may be entirely inappropriate and which must be ignored… whatever that bridge looks like at any given time we are nevertheless to support the Pontifex with prayers according to God’s will, which may well be for his conversion to the faith. For instance, I’m sure that the Immaculate Conception, dearest Mary, prayed for the conversion of Peter even while Peter was denying Jesus, her Divine Son, thrice. This isn’t the first time in history when there have been attempts to throw Jesus out of His own Church.

Just do up some parkour and jump over the river, ignoring the stupid bridge. Jesus, who is the Way, will catch you on the other side. In fact, he’s already got you. No one can rip you out of His hands. Not even the Pontifex. Pray for him. Hail Mary…