I love words.

I love the complexity of their meanings and the power they can wield. I love that they are the only bridge that connects what is inside of me to you, or you to me.

The bridge they make is unfortunately very treacherous. There is, after all, a huge cavern -- a gorge -- between you and me. It is often like a suspension bridge swaying with the wind, and I am so fearful of falling...

But there is no other way for me to reach you. No other way for me to be known to you. I will die if I don't use that bridge, and you will too.

Sometimes the bridge is much less treacherous -- over time it can become like the George Washington Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge. I think that is the result of many words and years of building. Shared experiences help to secure and maintain the bridge -- but it is, after all, only a bridge. Just the smallest amount of consistent neglect could result in its collapse. Perhaps even the fear of its collapse leaves us to travel the suspension bridge once again.

Words are insufficient and imperfect, but I love them anyway. They are all we have. They are the ultrasound, the x-ray, the full body scan, the MRI. "search me oh God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139: 23-24)

I love that Jesus is the ultimate bridge. He is our connection to God. I love that this analogy is made complete in the Gospel of John: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Our creator made us in this state of isolation. He caused us to need that bridge. Sometimes it is a suspension bridge swaying in the wind. He made us wanting to know and be known; needing to build and travel those bridges.

And once again, words are our only tool. Our only weapon. We use them to pray, to dream, to turn our feelings into flesh, our ideas into 3 dimensions.

Yes, I am a lover of words.

I have been reading (re-reading and then reading again) a treasure of a book called "Wishful Thinking -- a Seeker's ABC" by Frederick Buechner. I just love this little book. This lexicon reviews the Christian terminology that we in the blogs have been bouncing around, plus a few other words that I hadn't really thought of at all. I am posting Buechner's definition of Magic, for those of you who haven't had this lovely experience yet.

"Magic is saying Abracadabra and pulling the rabbit out of the hat, is stepping on a crack to break your mother's back, is a dashboard Jesus to prevent smash-ups. Magic is going to church so you will get to Heaven. Magic is using Listerine so everybody will love you. Magic is the technique of controlling unseen powers and will always work if you do it by the book. Magic is manipulation and says, My will be done. Religion is propitiation and says Thy will be done.

Religion is praying, and maybe the prayer will be answered and maybe it won't, at least not the way you want or when you want and maybe not at all. Even if you do it by the book, religion doesn't always work, as Jesus pointed out in one of his more somber utterances when he said, "Not everyone who says, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 7:21) the corollary to which would appear to be, "Not everyone who wouldn't be caught dead saying 'Lord, Lord,' shall be blackballed from the kingdom of Heaven." He softened the blow somewhat then by adding that the way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is to do the will of his Father in Heaven; but when religion claims that it's always sure what that will is, it's only bluffing. Magic is always sure.

If security is what you're after, try magic. If adventure is what you're after, try religion. The line between them is notoriously fuzzy."

I love how Buechner used these words. They surprised me, delighted me, and added some girding to my bridge to God. I love how God provided these words to me in an hour I needed them most. I would say that that was "magical" -- Buechner would remind me that it was "religion".

++Thank you, King of the bridge builders, that when we tire of traveling the suspension bridge, You'll make the journey to us.