By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president
The Silver Bridge in West Virginia failed suddenly in 1967. As a result of this failure, forty-six people lost their lives. However, it didn’t really fail suddenly. It failed because of something that happened over time. It failed because of rust. A crack slowly formed and eventually became a 0.1‑inch fracture in one of the links of the suspension bridge. When the crack reached that size, the bridge failed and collapsed—all because of rust in a very small portion of the structure.
Then there is the Mianus River Bridge in Connecticut, which failed on June 28, 1983. It failed for the same reason: rust that, over time, weakened some very small bearings. When they failed, one corner of the road slab was pushed off its support, leading to the bridge’s collapse.
Rust can also affect more than just metal. Wheat and other cereal crops can be destroyed by rust. Plant rusts are parasites and, when on a living host, can cause the destruction of that plant. Trees can also be destroyed by plant rust.
It is interesting that Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, referenced rust when He said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19–21.
As we live this life, we make choices every day. Some choices are laying up treasure in heaven. Other choices, while they may seem insignificant at times, may start the rust process and ultimately lead to decay and ruin in our lives. The good news is that if something starts to rust, it can be treated and the rust process halted.
It is good for each of us to review our lives with Jesus as our guide to see if there are beginnings of rust. Maybe there are parts of our lives already damaged by rust and on the verge of catastrophic failure. With Jesus as our guide and our Savior, destruction can be avoided. Treasures can begin to be laid up in heaven, and spiritual rust can be reversed.