Meghalaya in northwest India is arguably the wettest place on earth. The mile-high mountain range boasts the world record for rain with an annual accumulation that once topped 82 feet. Staying dry, of course, is a battle, but it’s actually not the biggest challenged cause by constant rain. Over the years, the rain has turned creeks into valleys and large gorges now crisscross the rainforest floor.

Most of the rain falls during the summer monsoons. In this season, gentle creeks become raging rivers, impassible on foot. An extravagant commuter bridge system is needed to keep villages connected to one another. But normal bridge concepts are not an option. Because of the rainfall, wooden bridges would quickly collapse to erosion. Concrete and steel are not available alternatives in such a remote region. So, members of the Khasis tribe have crafted an ingenious solution.

On a riverbank, a small strangler tree is planted. Once the tree is large enough, roots are extracted from the ground. These roots are meticulously cultivated to grow to a sufficient length and coaxed across the gorge. Once on the other side, the roots are sewn into the opposing riverbank, take hold, and grow thick. Roots from other strangler trees are enticed across the gorge and interwoven into a walkway strong enough to support pedestrian traffic. Mud is fashioned into pavement and the bridge is open for business. They become living bridges, some of which have lasted for centuries. The largest, Umshiang Double Decker Root Bridge, is reported to be more than a mile long and stands at a height of 2400 feet.

As you might imagine, the growth of hundreds of roots across wide spans is a slow process. It is so slow in fact that a bridge cannot be completed in a single lifetime. The work of the project must be passed on to the next generation. Children are taught from a very young age how to care for the strangler tree and direct its growth.

Possible Preaching Angles:

1) Generations; Parenting; Children, Christian Service - Our Christian service is itself a bridge, spanning the gaps between God and man, from one generation to the next. And much like the living bridges of Meghalaya, the work we are doing cannot be completed in a single lifetime; 2) Mediator; Way; Jesus Christ – Jesus is our living bridge to the Father (1 Tim. 2:5)

Source:

Major Dalton, “The Generational Bridge,” Contextive.org (10-3-19)