Prayer with the People of Minneapolis and All Who Did not Cross the I-35 W Bridge

Unusual in design,
fractured by stress,
overloaded with traffic,
or as some feared, a crime?

We do not know, Lord.
We may discover.

What we know is shock,
amazement, grief for those who died,
and those who hurt in body, spirit, mind,
with wonder whether other bridges may collapse,
and when, or why, or how.

We do not know, Lord.
We pray not to discover.

Another bridge will come,
stronger, we trust, than this,
and we wiser that we had been to inspect,
more sure to act on such inspection.

But now, perhaps for months,
we’ll cross some other bridge.

And still, perhaps for weeks,
we’ll see the slabs of concrete folded,
girders bent like wire, cars vacant on pavement,
signs all bridges need our trust to cross,
or be crossed by our neighbors.

This we know, Lord.
We pray we may remember.