Jesus and the Bridge to Cross the Divide between God and man

 Recently I hear the analogy of how we must go into the valley on our jouney to deep, close relationship to God.  That we must go to the emotion depths and face our shame and fears and hurts before we can enjoy an intimate relationship with God.  It's an analogy that makes a lot of sense.  

However, there is another analogy that is similar yet very different.  It is the image of Christ as the bridge that connects God and man because of the separation we have from God because of our sin.  The bridge symbolized the work Christ did on the Cross for man to restore us to right relationship with God.  We must accept this gift to be able to cross the gulf to get to God.  

The second image is a direct path to God, requiring us to give up nothing short of our life, yet the work is a mere decision to follow him.  The first image requires the hard word, and the long work, of working through the hurts of our lives.  

While the two are not the same thing, salvation vs. relationship, it seems that they should be almost one in the same yet they require very different things from the believer.  It's a difference that I'm trying to sort out but am having a hard time doing so.  

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