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“Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.” – Paul Simon.
One of the quiet tragedies of a hurried life is that it leaves little room for people. Schedules fill up, calendars crowd over, and relationships slowly get squeezed into the margins—until there are no margins left at all. Yet Scripture paints a different picture. Again and again, God uses margin not as wasted space, but as sacred ground. Margin becomes a bridge—a place where God connects us to others in meaningful, life-giving ways.
Jesus Himself lived with margin. Though constantly in demand, He was never rushed. He had time to notice Zacchaeus in a tree, to stop for a bleeding woman in a crowd, to linger with Mary and Martha in their home. These moments were not interruptions; they were crossings. Margin created the bridge between Jesus and people who desperately needed to be seen.
For the believer, margin functions the same way. When our lives are packed wall-to-wall, relationships become transactional. We move past one another instead of toward one another. But when we intentionally leave space—emotional, relational, and even physical—we create a bridge for connection. Margin allows us to listen instead of merely hear, to notice instead of overlook, and to love instead of rush past.
The book of Proverbs tells us, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare” (Proverbs 15:1). Gentleness requires margin. So does patience, kindness, and compassion. Without space, even our best intentions collapse under pressure. Margin gives us the capacity to respond like Christ, not react like the world.
Margin also bridges our differences. In a divided culture, we often retreat to echo chambers where beliefs are reinforced, and perspectives go unchallenged. But bridges are built precisely where there is distance. Margin gives us room to sit with someone who thinks differently, to ask questions without defensiveness, and to practice humility. Consider how Jesus treated people on the margins of society. He crossed religious, cultural, and social boundaries to restore dignity to the overlooked. When believers create margin, we step into that same ministry of reconciliation. Margin becomes the bridge that carries grace across gaps of pain, misunderstanding, and isolation.
Even in our relationship with God, margin acts as a bridge. When we slow down enough to pray, to reflect on Scripture, and to listen, we move from knowing about God to walking with Him. That vertical connection strengthens our horizontal ones. A heart anchored in God is more available to people. Margin reminds us that people are not obstacles to our purpose—they are the purpose.
As believers, we are called to be bridge-builders in a broken world. Margin gives us the materials. When we create space in our lives, God uses it to connect hearts, heal divisions, and reveal His presence in everyday moments. In that space, love crosses over—and lives are changed.
Discussion Questions:
- Where has busyness in your life made it difficult to truly connect with others, and what kind of margin could help rebuild that bridge?
- Can you recall a time when someone else’s margin (their time, attention, or patience) became a bridge for you during a meaningful or difficult moment?