Bridges: the building, the remodeling, the burning

Hi. My name is Lauren Smoak, and I am one of the lucky interns serving at Charleston Youth Mission. I have lived in Charleston for the past ten years, and it is such a blessing to be able to share my city with youth from near and far. It’s over halfway through the summer now, and one theme in particular
has been stuck on my mind and heart: bridges.
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Every Tuesday I take my team to Northbridge Park for lunch. If you aren’t familiar with the place,
it is a park under a bridge with lovely views, unique shells, and cute fiddler crabs. While it is a beautiful
picnic spot, that's not the only reason we visit. About halfway through our lunch I gather everyone’s
attention and hop up on my soapbox for the day. I’ll give you a shortened version of my speech now:
Northbridge separates North Charleston from West Ashley. Most of our service for the week is
centered in North Charleston, where the group stays, working with organizations like Lowcountry Food
Bank, Neighbors Together, Lowcountry Orphan Relief, and Lowcountry Blessing Box.

What is the reason for that? Why are there so many thriving nonprofits in North Charleston? The answer is because that is the area that experiences the most need. We discuss reasons for this: food deserts, lack of jobs, poor transportation, limited healthcare, generational poverty, etc. But this shouldn't be that big of a problem, right? Maybe North Charleston is a tough place to live, but at least the people there can branch out to the bountiful resources the rest of Charleston has to offer. I wish that were the case. Northbridge was remodeled in 1980. To accommodate Charleston’s ever-growing population, the bike line was replaced with an extra lane of traffic. More recently, the speed limit was raised from 45mph to 50mph to allow smoother traffic flow. Northbridge Park itself was established as an official city park in 2014, providing a fun spot for the community to congregate. This all sounds great, right? Fantastic improvements to the community and infrastructure! Not quite.

That bike lane was the only available access for people without cars to travel safely and quickly
from North Charleston to West Ashley. In the past ten years there have been four fatalities and six serious injuries from people trying to cross the bridge on the two-foot-wide, heavily spiked median running between six lanes of traffic. Furthermore, want to know a fun fact about speed limits? According to South Carolina law, it is illegal and dangerous for pedestrians to walk on roadways with a speed limit of 50 mph or higher. They can potentially receive a ticket or citation for violating this rule. Want to know another fun fact? When a place is declared an official city park it has to be patrolled. This means, just hypothetically speaking of course, that if a person got trapped on one side of a dangerous bridge they couldn’t even legally sleep under it because it is part of a city park.

Here’s the real kicker: “Northbridge,” as it is called by the folks in West Ashley, is actually named
Cosgrove Bridge. It’s only north relative to people on their side of the bridge... the “good” side... the side
with a voice. Thankfully, there is an organization that sees and advocates for the voiceless in this
situation. “Better NorthBridge” is working to build a standalone bike/pedestrian bridge. It may take a few
years, but change is on the horizon. I am now stepping off my soapbox.

P.S. I would also like to share that I live in West Ashley. I will fully admit to the privileged life I live. It’s not
something to feel guilty about, but I encourage people with privilege to use their voice to advocate for the voiceless. I live on a mountain and it's my responsibility to lift up those in the valley. It's one thing to serve. I love seeing these kids work passionately to help their neighbors.

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​However, it is just as important to recognize why there is so much need in the first place. What bridges,
both literal and figurative, are keeping people from thriving? Recognizing and keeping informed about the problems in our society is the first step to solving them. You have to acknowledge the hurt before healing can start. It’s a hard conversation to have - it's so much easier to talk about Biblical love and kindness than it is to admit how much the world is sorely lacking it. But each week I am filled with pride for my kids -they tackle these discussions with open hearts and eager voices.

Traveling teens can’t fix all the problems in Charleston. CYM itself can’t heal every division. But I
encourage my youth to consider the bridges and gaps in their own lives. Do the conversations we have
had remind them of anything from back home? Lightbulbs begin to go off when I ask this question. I hear
about cliques in school - seniors bully the freshman and if you aren't popular then you aren't anything.
Boys are treated differently from girls. Parents tell their children not to go to “the other side of the tracks” and to ignore people on the street. “That kid is different,” “we don’t talk to people like that,” “he’s homeless because he’s on drugs.” This is the world our kids are being raised in. It’s a battlefield out there. But I want to empower them, to empower YOU. You might be one tiny person. But you can effect change in your little corner of the world.

​You have the power to build bridges and break down barriers every single day. Have the courage to question the systems you live in. Consider the “why” behind the divisions in your life. Recognize the harmed and the harmful. Don’t shy away from difficult conversations but instead use your privilege to speak up in them. Realize the wrong. Push past surface level appearances to uncover deeper societal implications. Burn old ideas and rebuild them into what God intends for this world.

When we started giving the “Northbridge Talk” it was designed as filler conversation to have over
lunch in the middle of our real work day. To our surprise, it has turned into a major talking point for the rest of the week. The kids are shocked by how real and tangible the divide is. Most of them have heard about inequality and gaps and divides over and over but something about Northbridge makes it real. Somehow a mention of the bridge wiggles its way into nearly every conversation we have following Tuesday. If I had a nickel for every time I heard “just like the bridge!!” come from one of my kids' mouths after I asked for an example. I would have enough money to fund the building of that pedestrian bridge ;)

I’m so proud of our youth. I’ve had so many God moments this summer after hearing them accept
this information into their hearts. God is working little by little to soften their souls. I have hope for future generations bringing a small piece of GOD’S kingdom to earth. I will sign off this post with a scripture from our curriculum (one that prompts a lot of the “just like the bridge!” comments).

Isaiah 40:3-5
A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Amen.

written by Lauren Smoak