The Bridge of the Cross - A Poem by Annie Johnson Flint

"The Bridge" by William C. Ressler (williamressler.com)

The Bridge of the Cross

Man fain would build a bridge to God

Across the fathomless abyss

That lies between his earth-bound soul

And heaven's perfect bliss.

He takes his knowledge, small and vague,

The great inventions he has wrought,

His mightiest efforts, finest plans,

And his profoundest thought:

He binds them with his strands of straw,

His strings of tow, his ropes of sand,

With all the power and the skill

Of cunning brain and hand.

Through swirling mists he strains his eye,

Above the unseen torrent's roar

He pushes forth the makeshift thing

And hopes to touch the shore.

But when he seeks to cross the chasm

With eager heart and step elate,

He finds his bridge too short to reach,

Too frail to bear his weight.

Oh, baseless dream! Oh, useless toil!

Oh, utter and eternal loss!

For God has laid, to span the void,

His Son upon the cross.

And when man's broken bridges fall,

And sink into the gulf at last,

Still wide and long and safe and strong,

The bridge of God stands fast.

Annie Johnson Flint

1 Corinthians 1:23-29  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Titus 3:5-6  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Acts 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.