A Bridge of Hope
When Vietnam closed its borders to international visitors during the height of the pandemic, tourism authorities in northwestern Vietnam began dreaming of a pathway that would wow the world, fueling tourism and offering visitors a glimpse of serenity in the midst of global chaos. The resulting glass-bottomed Bach Long bridge was unveiled to much fanfare in April, and this week Guinness World Records declared it the world's longest bridge of its kind.
Picture a tempered glass bridge suspended nearly 500 feet above lush mountain rainforest and stretching 2,073 feet across (nearly six football fields) to a popular mountain resort on the other side. Located in the rural highland region of Son La province, the glass walkway is strong enough to support up to 450 people at a time. Shortly after the bridge opened, an SUV was successfully driven from one side to the other, barely squeezing between the narrow rails.
The record for the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge was previously held by a walkway in Guangdong, China, that measures 1,726 feet long. Interestingly, the Bach Long bridge is the third glass-bottomed bridge in Vietnam. For a glimpse of a spectacular glass footbridge in the Ba Na Hills of Central Vietnam that is majestically held up by enormous cement hands, look here.
The visionary thinking of the Vietnamese tourism authorities and the French construction company that crafted the Bach Long bridge is remarkable, particularly as the walkway was designed and built in the midst of a global pandemic. Do you hear the metaphors embedded in this story? From despair to hope, from hidden to unveiled, from unknown to world record-setting, from skepticism to awe, from chaos to peace: The list could go on, as our thirst for healing metaphors is at a heightened level these days.
Remember the Apostle John's words as he described the sparkling promise of a new heaven in Revelation 21: "The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. ... The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass" (Revelation 21:18, 21).
If you had a plane ticket to northwestern Vietnam this month, would you be bold enough to walk the Bach Long bridge, gazing before and beneath you as you float above a rainforest canopy? Be bold in your faith, Friends, and let hope mark your steps forward: "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 5:10-11).
Peace on your week,
Jennie