Building Bridges
There once were two brothers who lived on adjoining farms. One day they fell out with each other over a minor misunderstanding. It was their first serious rift in forty years of farming side by side, sharing machinery and trading labour and goods, as and when needed. Their long collaboration began to fall apart, until it finally came to an exchange of bitter words that was followed by weeks of silence.
One morning there was a knock on the older brother’s door. In front of it stood a man with a carpenter’s toolbox who said: ‘I’m looking for a few days’ work. Have you any small jobs in need of doing?’
‘Yes,’ said the older brother, ‘ I have a job for you. The farm across the creek belongs to my younger brother. Until last week there was a meadow in its place, but with his bulldozer my brother created a creek between us through which the river could run. I think he did this to spite me, so I think I’ll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? Take it and build me an eight foot high fence to hide his face and place from me.’
The carpenter replied: ‘Hm, yes. I understand. Show me the nails and the post hole digger and I will do you a job to your entire satisfaction.’ The older brother helped the carpenter to get the materials ready and then departed for a day on the town. In his absence the carpenter worked very hard indeed. All day he toiled, measuring, sawing and nailing and when the farmer returned at sunset, he had just finished.
The farmer’s eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped when he saw the result. No fence could be seen anywhere, the carpenter had built a bridge instead. It stretched from one side of the creek to the other. It was a fine piece of work, complete with handrails and everything else that makes a bridge a good one. While he was standing and pondering what to do about it, the younger brother approached. Standing by the bridge and admiring it, he said: ‘You are quite a fellow to build this bridge, after all I said and did.’
After a moment of silence, the brothers stepped forward, each from their end of the bridge. They walked to the middle and shook hands with each other. When they turned round the carpenter was hoisting his toolbox onto his shoulder. ‘Don’t go away,’ said the older brother. ‘Stay a few days. I’ve lots more things for you to do.’. ‘I’d love to,’ replied the carpenter, ‘but I have many more bridges to build elsewhere.’
Created by Anon.
Edited by Aquarius
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Aquarius is the sign of siblinghood, kinship and friendship among all peoples, nations and ultimately all life. It symbolises revolution, renewal, transfiguration and transmutation. In the Age of Aquarius, now upon us, humankind’s highest hopes and aspirations personally and collectively are going to find their fulfilment, on every level of our existence.
During this age, any religion or belief system that refuses to recognise the oneness of life will be doomed to die a natural death caused by ever dwindling numbers of supporters. Religious convictions are of no use to anyone, unless they encourage their followers not to be on the lookout for a kind carpenter who magically materialises and does their bridge building for them. Nobody will or can do this for anyone. Everybody has to be their own handy person. In all our relationships, including the one with God and ourselves, each human soul has to build its own inner and outer bridges. And the same is true for our connections with other members of the human family, independent of their race, colour or creed. It also goes for the participants of other realms of life, may they be visible or invisible to earthly human eyes.
For the warring brothers in the story above a kind carpenter comes who quietly and secretly builds the bridge that is necessary for healing their relationship. No-one will do this for us and our bridges. It’s a DIY job, if ever there was one. Our materials too are of a different kind. Nothing less than simple human kindness and goodness, forgiveness and tolerance, consideration and respect for ourselves, each other and all life, are good enough for the work that is waiting for us.
These are the Divine qualities that quite naturally grow in human hearts, as soon as we open ourselves to the love of the Highest. We then begin to perceive God in all life and beings, including those we formerly thought of as our enemies. The ascent of the spiritual mountain back into the oneness with God proceeds much swifter when we finally grasp that there is no such thing as enemies. I big evolutionary step forward is made when we realise that those who formerly looked and behaved like adversaries in truth are merely drawn into our life to act as temporary teachers for particularly difficult, traumatic and painful lessons.
There is only one religion, the religion of love.
There is only one country, the whole of Mother Earth.
There is only one race, the race of humankind.
There is only one gender, who is androgynous, whole and holy.
There is only one language, the language of the heart.
And there is only one God, the God of love,
The Great Father/Mother of all life
And I, their only born Son/Daughter.
We are one Holy Trinity, who is
Omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient.
Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Religion Of The New Age’
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The above is a chapter from ‘Astrology As A Lifehelp In Relationship Healing’.
If it has whetted your appetite to read more, please follow the link below:
‘Astrology As A Lifehelp In Relationship Healing’
