Jesus described a situation that included an intangible and impenetrable distance.  “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us” (Luke 16:26).  He did so to make an effective point.

Still, it is good to develop the confidence that not all gulfs and distances are un-crossable.

If you have thoughtfully stood on the seashore and stared across the seemingly unending plain of marine colored water, you know how separated the shores of the world may seem.  In ages of the past the distance seemed impossible for all but a few adventurers.  In the present, crossing those great and distant gulfs is common and is done with little thought.  So, as we imagine and consider great gulfs, it might be good to remember that in many cases, distance is relative to personal perception. 

Many parents have had the experience of putting a child in a car to begin a journey with some level of acceptance by the child.  Before long that child may want to know, “How much farther.” How can it be explained that the trip has a distance and a bit of time yet to go?  No matter what answer is given to the child, the distance will seem to be too far.

Maybe even the distance life may appear, at times, to be like the crossing of a great gulf.  Perhaps, the lyrics of the song by the Los Lonely Boys fits into our pondering.  “I’ve been locked up way too long in this crazy world. How far is Heaven? And I just keep on prayin’ Lord, and just keep on livin’.  How far is Heaven?  Yeah, Lord, can you tell me? How far is Heaven?”

The primary way that we view separation is by relating it in terms of geographic distance.  We may even tend to describe how far we are from another person by using terms of recognized segments of time and travel.  For example, a relative’s home is often stated in how long it takes to drive there from a personal place.  It might be said, “Mom lives across town, about thirty minutes from me.”

There are also those special times in which distance may be considered by less mechanical means, and more by emotional/intellectual distances.  There was a scene from the old television show, M*A*S*H, in which two of the characters, Hawkeye and Winchester, discussed their relationships with their fathers.  It may not be the exact quote, but it went something like this: Winchester said, “Where you have a dad, I have a father.  You are close to your dad even though you are thousands of miles apart.  My father and I have been thousands of miles apart when we were in the same room.”  He might well have said that there was a great gulf between his father and him. 

In the non-geographic gulfs, a lot of societies have recognizably great gulfs or distances between the various and determined groups.  Race, gender, education, money, profession, and any number of real and arbitrarily determined divisions create the opportunity to separate.  Many of the divisional gulfs may never be fully crossed by all.  Yes, there will always be those who fearfully stand on distant shores.  At the same time, we may find that even the greatest gulfs may be crossed by the bold, and those who care enough to try.  For thousands of years, people of adventure have boldly sought to go to places that they believe “no man has gone before”.  Where would we be if there had been no desire to reach across, and even find the way to shores beyond the known horizon?  Transfer that bold, desirous, and caring spirit to those gulfs or distances that are more measured by the heart than by the geographic distance.  Again, it may be too simplistic to simply challenge us all to just “get along”.  Even so, it is a place to start.

The greatest gulfs really are the ones we find between the hearts of people.  Those gulfs, though not as tangible as the ones in physical designations, are yet very real in effect.  Even more, the greatest courage may be found in those who dare to cross those gulfs.  For therein such a pursuit, we are exposed as truly open and vulnerable.  At the same time, we cannot ignore the benefits found in such a crossing of that gulf.  It is almost beyond description to know the result of building a bond that blesses. 

Why not cross the great human gulfs and make a better life for all?

Russell L. Dyer

July 22, 2024