Dwight and his wife Lynette founded quest: a Christ-commons in metro-Seattle in 1996. Dwight teaches at Mars Hill Graduate School and actively blogs at www.dwightfriesen.com, where he uniquely explores the theology of relationality, connectivity, networks and community. Dwight earned his Doctor of Ministry
from George Fox University studying under Leonard Sweet.

One of the standard tools in the modern evangelist’s tool-belt has been the Bridge Illustration. This simple visual representation of Christ’s reconciling work has played a vital role in untold numbers of Christ-followers as they came to a transforming encounter with the living God revealed in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Although the primary point of the illustration is to demonstrate that the relational break between God and humanity is bridged by Christ, the bridge illustration has sometimes been mishandled and used to reinforce the notion that life’s valleys can be avoided, or that trusting in Christ will offer the believer the opportunity to skim over painful gorges.

We know that God rarely leads people away from valleys. As the Poet of the Lord wrote, “Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me” (Ps 23:4a, NLT).

Recently I was reading – Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future – the new conversational text by Peter Senge, Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski and Betty Sue Flowers, in which readers are invited into their exploration of their "U-Theory" of learning and change. The three basic aspects of U-Theory are: sensing, presencing and realizing.

The starting point is the upper left corner of the “U”. At this point life is good and we are comfortable with who we are, what we’re doing, our knowledge, etc.

Sensing:
As we begin the downward move of the “U” we are sensing that there may be “more” then we have known, or experienced. We become aware that we must move beyond where we are, while not necessarily sure as to where we are going. The authors emphasize that sensing is marked by observing and noticing what’s happening around us, often with an awakening to the possibility of greater "oneness with the world." This downward move usually strips away the comfort in what we have "known."

Presencing:
Or pre-sensing, is a place of chaos marked by uncertainty and the choice between running back to what has been known or sitting with the uncertainty. The authors suggest that this season is often marked by retreating from what has been known, to reflect on what might be. Christian mystics might call this the “dark night of the soul”. The authors suggest that the bottom of the "U" is not to be rushed through nor avoided but engaged.

Realizing:
The up swing of the "U" involves bringing something new into reality; it is a new birth. The authors suggest that this process may be a relatively swift process and stands in direct relation to one’s willingness to "sit with the chaos" of the bottom of the "U". They use the example of a Japanese painter, who might sit, stare and study a mountain for a week or longer and when the artist finally "sees the mountain" the artist swiftly paints. Something new is realized.

As I have been sitting with the “U-Theory” my mind jumped to Christian understandings of repentance, conversation and sanctification. In some ways it seems that the bridge illustration may be inadvertently presenting an “n-theory” almost suggesting that Christ bridges over the chaos, while the doctrine of the Incarnation surely teaches that Christ enters our chaos for the sake of relationship.

We may be in a better place theologically if we move the Cross to the bottom of that valley. With the Cross at the bottom of the valley, confusion, doubt, fear, chaos, loss, are not extraneous to conversion but become a vital part of conversion. It is in the valley where Christ is found.

Think of God’s movement toward humanity: God becomes incarnate in Jesus Christ, entering the chaos of this world climaxing on the cross, followed by Christ’s ascending back to God the Father. Incarnation (God with humanity) – Cross – Ascension (humanity with God).

Merging the bridge illustration with the 23rd Psalm may paint an even more helpful picture of salvation.

Even when I walk through the dark valley of death,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.

It is often in “the valley of the shadow of death” where we discover that God is “close beside us.” The presence of the God who is “close beside us” is most often experienced through followers of Christ, and it is in the valley that our WITHness is our witness.

As we sketch bridge illustrations on napkins and scratch paper there may be moments when inverting this classic visual may help some people see that God can meet them in their valley and redeem it.