The I-35W Bridge Collapse

Posted by Mike O on: 08.16.2007 /

While I was cruising Alaska, having what turned out to be the best vacation I’ve EVER had (thanks mom and dad and happy 50th Anniversary!), the I-35W bridge collapsed in downtown Minneapolis during rush hour, killing probably dozens. I just happened to turn CNN on in my room about an hour after it happened and was shocked, to say the least.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m from the Minneapolis area. I know that bridge. I’ve driven it. Not often, mind you, but to me this is local, hometown news.

An odd thought keeps popping into my mind since then. Isn’t it odd that out of the clear blue sky, disaster can strike? Isn’t it odd that people who don’t deserve to die like that, die like that? (There’s a local story of a good samaritan who died helping others on the bridge) Isn’t it odd that people who do deserve to die like that, don’t? (There’s another local story of a child abuser who was on his way to visit the child HE put in the hospital.) Isn’t it odd that only 13 people died? Shouldn’t there have been more?

How many people walked away from that tragedy who, statistically speaking, shouldn’t have? I’m pretty sure that if I were one of those who walked away, I would see it as a 2nd chance at life. Would I change anything?

I’m not given to morbid thinking, but when I die, and I will die someday, what I want is pretty simple … I want people to think I didn’t deserve it. I want more people to be sad than glad. I want to have lived a good life. I want to have mattered. Whatever race I have decided to run, I want to have run it well.

For me, it’s kind of boiling down to this … Do good as often as you can. Do good today.

10 Responses to "The I-35W Bridge Collapse"

  • Comment by: Ir (Helen)

    1 08/16/07 11:03 AM | Comment Link |

    It is rather shocking when something happens and you think “I could have been on that bridge” or “I could have been on that plane”. I agree with you - the best response is to make the most of the life we have because we don’t know how much time we actually have left.

    Also, if people we know are affected - which could happen if it’s a local tragedy - then perhaps we could also respond by getting directly involved with those who need help because of the tragedy.

  • Comment by: Justin

    2 08/16/07 4:06 PM | Comment Link |

    I was reminded of the Tower of Siloam collapse that Jesus mentioned in Luke 13:4.

  • Comment by: Eliza

    3 08/16/07 8:35 PM | Comment Link |

    Mike O, I’m glad you got to go to Alaska - how wonderful! And for your parents’ 50th anniversary - that’s great, what a landmark.

    I thought of you (and Stephan) when I heard about the bridge collapse. Just because I knew you both are from the Minneapolis area, not that I thought you’d been on the bridge when it collapsed (though, I’m glad you weren’t!). It is very shocking when something so unexpected happens, especially when the people involved had no chance to do anything to prepare or to save themselves until after the event itself was over, in a few minutes. Also when (as is so often the case in these sudden, unexpected disasters) it happens in a familiar place or situation - a bridge on a freeway, or an airplane, or a city you have visited (or, especially, the one you live in).

    Thanks for your reminder to us, to do good each day, as if it were the last.

  • Comment by: Stephan

    4 08/17/07 9:01 PM | Comment Link |

    I’m on vacation, but thought I would chime in since my name was mentioned. I used to go over that bridge every day on my way to and from work. I was on it two hours before it collapsed. So when I say, “It could have been me,” I really mean it.

    Thanks for the reminder, Mike.

  • Comment by: Ir (Helen)

    5 08/18/07 3:42 AM | Comment Link |

    Wow, Stephan. I’m glad you weren’t one of the people who happened to be on it when it collapsed.

    I ran across a blog entry from John Piper, pastor in Minneapolis, written two hours after the bridge collapse.

    Putting My Daughter to Bed Two Hours After the Bridge Collapsed

    It turned out his family devotions reading the day the bridge collapsed was the passage Justin mentioned, the Tower of Siloam. Quoting from his entry

    Tonight for our family devotions our appointed reading was Luke 13:1-9. It was not my choice. This is surely no coincidence.

    Mike, I like what you said better than what John Piper said. His blog entry is in the “don’t waste your life” category of his blog - I think that’s the message he took away from the bridge collapse, but he frames it in his very conservative theology. Here’s an excerpt:

    The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of this bridge. That is his most merciful message: there is still time to turn from sin and unbelief and destruction for those of us who live. If we could see the eternal calamity from which he is offering escape we would hear this as the most precious message in the world.

    When I read things like this I can’t help thinking - wow, what a horribly negative belief system.

    I’m not saying that about what all Christians believe, but about his particular version of Christianity.

  • Comment by: Laura M.

    6 08/19/07 2:49 AM | Comment Link |

    The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of this bridge.

    So God wanted all those people to die so he would learn a lesson? So the horrible thing that happened to other people is now all about him?

  • Comment by: Ir (Helen)

    7 08/19/07 5:16 AM | Comment Link |

    Laura, I don’t think John meant that. I think he was intending simply to apply Jesus’ words about the tower of Siloam to himself, which were:

    “Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

    Jesus wasn’t saying “God killed those people so you could learn something - it’s all about you” but rather “When you hear about a tragedy, don’t assume - hey, I’m still alive so God is happy with everything about my life!” Instead, ask yourself what YOU need to change about your life.”

    John put his own name in to emphasis Jesus’ point, made in other places too, that it’s more constructive to think about what needs to change in my life than to analyze someone else’s (especially if they are beyond the possibility of change now anyway).

    Which is similar to what Mike is saying: that the best way we can respond to tragic news is to think “what needs to change in MY life? How can I make sure it counts?”

    Basically Jesus was opposing the idea that if people die in an accident, it’s because they were more evil than other people, who survived. I’m glad he did (taking the story at face value), because it doesn’t make any sense to think that the people who died in the bridge collapse happened to be the most evil few people in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. Nor is it likely that everyone who survived is living a perfect life, with nothing about it that could be improved.

    (Please don’t ask me exactly what Jesus meant by ‘repent’ and ‘perish’ in this passage. I know what John Piper thinks but I don’t know if he’s right. Or even whether Jesus ever said these words)

  • Comment by: Karen

    8 08/19/07 10:57 AM | Comment Link |

    I read that John Piper essay too and found it rather horrifying. Particularly the part where he talks with his daughter:

    But you and I know that God did not do anything wrong. God always does what is wise. And you and I know that God could have held up that bridge with one hand.” Talitha said, “With his pinky.” “Yes,” I said, “with his pinky. Which means that God had a purpose for not holding up that bridge, knowing all that would happen, and he is infinitely wise in all that he wills.”

    Talitha said, “Maybe he let it fall because he wanted all the people of Minneapolis to fear him.” “Yes, Talitha,” I said, “I am sure that is one of the reasons God let the bridge fall.”

    “Sleep tight darling. God slams bridges down and drowns people and sends some of them to hell forever, but we know he’s infinitely wise, so don’t worry your little head about it. G’night!”

    Yikes… that would’ve been a recipe for a lifetime of nightmares for me!

  • Comment by: Laura M.

    9 08/22/07 12:12 AM | Comment Link |

    Helen, thanks. It’s possible that is what he meant, but I didn’t read Piper’s blog entry yet so at this point I have no idea, other than respecting your judgement.

    Out of curiosity, what part of his beleif system do you find to be “horribly negative”?

  • Comment by: Stephan

    10 09/4/07 6:01 AM | Comment Link |

    I know this thread is old, but I thought I would throw in one other interesting note.

    A few days after the bridge collapse we went out of town for a week. During that time, my parents got a visit from the police. Apparently someone noticed there was no one coming or going from our house and suspected we may have been on the bridge, so they called the police and reported us missing. The police contacted my parents and confirmed that we were OK. I am guessing they also visited our house during that time and got no answer.

    I heard they had a lot of these visits to make in the weeks following the collapse.