Pastor Dave Maitland

It was late one night early in my ministry as Youth Pastor in Meadville, Pa. I was coming home from our weekly street basketball outreach.

To go home I had to drive across Smock Bridge, an open air bridge with 5 foot high barriers on each side. As I got to the middle of the bridge, I noticed a rabbit huddled against one of the barriers. Because it was so late, there was no traffic. So I was able to stop and see if I could help.

As I approached the rabbit I could see he was afraid, stunned, stranded and shaking from what was to be his sure destiny.Stranded on Smock Bridge.

I gently picked up the rabbit and took him home with me. I placed him in a sheltered place away from the dangers of the bridge.

From time to time through the years, I have thought about that little rabbit stranded on that big bridge — alone with no one to help him until I came along.

Maybe you have felt that loneliness like I have at times in my life.

Stranded! Helpless! Stranded on the Bridge of Life and much like that rabbit — alone, afraid, feeling there is no one to rescue you.

These last weeks have brought out the fear in all of us. Social distancing has isolated us even more than our ordinary lives already have.

We live in a lonely and disenfranchised world. If it doesn’t run over you, it passes you by unnoticed.

To sum it up, you may feel Stranded on this Bridge called “Life,” wondering if anybody cares or will stop to help.

Good news! God cares!

HE is willing to stop on that bridge and take you to safety. He is willing to carry your burdens for you and to shelter you in his loving arms.

One night 45 years ago, someone shared with me that God loves me and died on the cross for my sins. I asked Christ to be my Saviour.

As that rabbit faced his imminent demise so do we — stranded on the Bridge of Life.

Like the rescue of that rabbit which was carried to safety, so God is here to rescue us through His Son. You don’t have to be alone anymore or stranded.

John 3:16 says it all. It’s our only hope in these desperate times. God will never fail you.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Pastor Dave Maitland is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Butler.