A child’s innocent, honest question silences the the prideful arrogance of adults.

May this be our prayer today.

Shift Happens:
Introduction
Cistern

A few weeks ago I began a series on the life of Joseph as representative of our own unexpected shifts.

We pick up the story with Joseph at the bottom of a cistern.

I can only imagine what Joseph was thinking: What has just happened? HOW did this happen? WHY is this happening

to me?

What about those dreams, the one’s God Himself gave me? What about his plans to make my life great?

How the hell does this fit in?

Remember that in many ways this was all set in motion because of the dreams God gave teenager Joseph In the ancient near east dreams were a common way of divine communication. Like his brothers (who were pretty ticked at those acts of divine communication, especially how Joseph bragged about those communiqués) Joseph would have understood its prophetic nature, that God was doing something in his life and saying something about him and his life.

So at the beginning of Joseph’s story you have God directing its events. These dreams are from God.

He not only gave literal dreams to Joseph, but also planted in his heart a seed of promise for his life. To this teenager these dreams would have meant 2 things: God has a plan for his life and those plans include some type of leadership.

So at an early age God give Joseph a vision for his life.

Maybe some of us have experienced that same kernel of life-vision. We have had some hopes and dreams for our lives, ones that we were certain were from God, and now our life has shifted.

Now we are sitting at the bottom of a cistern asking, “What is happening to me? What about God’s plans for my life? How will I survive?”

I know I was asking these questions after my shift in DC. I went to Washington with a vision of how God wanted to use me in American politics and culture. I was a bright-eyed, bushied-tailed, freshly graduated conservative Republican Christian who thought he was called to confront culture with Christ. but then

SHIFT!

And at the bottom of my own cistern I had a real hard time seeing how God would fulfill those dreams, let alone survive. Engulfed in the fallout from my unexpected shift, I remember walking outside the Capitol Building and sitting on some benches just outside the House Chambers. It was a nice DC summer evening and I just stared at the Capitol, not so much asking “Why?” but “What?” and “How?” I prayed, “God what have you done, what are you doing in my life? How does this fit in with your plans and how am I going to survive?”

But I did survive. And so did Joseph.

Why? Because “the Lord was with him” and “what was meant for evil, the Lord meant for good.”

You read that right: Shift Happens.

Sometimes our lives take unexpected “shifts.” Shifts happen to us.

On Monday June 9, 2003 my life hit an unexpected shift.

A year prior I moved to Washington, DC with visions of changing American culture danced through my head. I was a young ambitious conservative with a kick-ass haircut who wanted to leave his mark on the American political landscape for Christ, mainly through subversive legislation. God was good enough to provide a position with a Senator, thus launching my budding career on Capitol Hill.

Up until Monday June 9, 2003 I was trying to move into upper legislative positions to leave such a mark. There were a few opportunities that came and went, but nothing that stuck. In fact, the week prior to Monday June 9, 2003 I was approached about a position where I would have worked on some policy and had face-time with the Senator.

While it seemed like an obvious, no-brainer opportunity, I felt like God didn’t want me to pursue it, that it wasn’t a good fit. That friday before Monday June 9, 2003 I approached my boss who talked with me about the opportunity and turned it down. I said I didn’t think it was the right fit, all the while cursing inside! She understood and said that there might be another opportunity in the press office. She said that a person there was looking to leave and thought it might be a good move for me. I thanked her and said I’d think about it…

Now fast forward to Monday June 9, 2003.

Late in the afternoon that person in the press shop decided to come visit my coworker and me in our office. He came in to grab a Dum-Dum sucker and ended up chatting and watching FoxNews. In the course of the conversation I asked him about his move. It went something like this:

Me: Hey (we’ll call him) Bob, I heard you were looking to leave. What’s the deal?

Bob: Umm…what do you mean?

Me: Well, someone told me you were thinking of moving back to Chicago and was wondering what was up?

Bob: I don’t what you’re talking about. Who told you that?

PAUSE: Now for some reason I thought he thought it was a secret, so I thought telling him this persons name would let him no there was no need to worry. I thought, “Surely if this Asst. Chief of Staff told me about this it wasn’t a big deal!” UNPAUSE

Me: Well (let’s call her) Sherri told me.

Bob: I don’t know what Sherri is talking about. I’m not looking to leave.

AWK-ward

I didn’t know what to say…so I just said, “Sorry!”

He left and I turned to my co-worker, “Good, God what have I just done.”

A bit later my coworker left and returned to let me know Bob and Sherri were in the hallway talking.

Great!

A few minutes before my day ended, Sherri came into my office and asked to see me in the hallway. THAT conversation went something like this:

Sherri: Did you ask Bob if he was looking to leave?

Me: Yes

Sherri: Did you say I told you that?

Me: Yes

Sherri: Why did you say that?!?!?! I told you not to tell anyone (which I did NOT recall at all). He came to me in confidence to say he was looking to leave (which, btw, he did…and was planning to all along!). And I had to lie through my teeth to say I didn’t say anything to you.

And then the words that rocked my world…

Sherri: And you fucked up…and that’s why you’re not going anywhere in this organization.

She stormed off. I sat stunned…at the bottom of a cistern.

I’ve called that experience my Joseph Moment. Like Joseph, a massive shift occurred in my life. You probably remember much of Joseph’s story, especially the beginning that launched his own storied tale. At the beginning of his story, Joseph’s father sends him to the land of Shechem to check on his brothers who were supposed to be looking after the family’s sheep or something. When Joseph arrives they are not there, but there just happens to be someone there who knows where they’ve gone to. Joseph is sent to the land of Dothan, where they just happen to be.

Hi brothers see him coming and are burning with anger and jealousy over Joseph’s dreams (the one’s that predicted Joseph’s leadership position…over them!) and their father’s favoritism (like the “technicolor dream coat”). While most of them want to kill Joseph, another suggests they spare his life and throw him in a cistern that just happens to be nearby.

So they do. They throw Joseph in a cistern. And as Joseph careens into the dusty dirt of the dried-out cistern, Joseph’s life Shifts.

Shift happens.

How many of us here have had Joseph Moments in our own stories? Moments when things absolutely just…shifted unexplainably and you were catapulted into a completely different direction than you could have imagined.

Someone dies.

You lose a job.

An unexpected pregnancy.

A major health problem is diagnosed.

Someone close to you betrays you.

A child falls away from God.

A marriage collapses.

One minute life is fantastic and beautiful. You’re just minding your own business and then

WHAMMO as they say in the comics…an unexpected shift.

This is what happened to me. This is what has happened to all of us. This is what happened to our good friend Joseph, because

shift happens.

As we walk through his story we’ll not only see how he handled his own shifts. We’ll also realize the truth about our own stories.

that the God Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is with us through it all; what others, especially the Evil One, meant for evil, the Lord has meant for good.

Shift happens, but God is with us.

Now, mind you, this was AFTER I spent $400 two days ago to replace the thermostat which caused both things to occur (in addition to having my battery replaced).

$770 is what it will take to replace the water pump and some gear that seems to have wreaked it.

That brings the grand total of car repairs for the week to around $1200.

$1200…*poof*

$1200 into a car that I plan on jettisoning in 6 months for another (and without any other recourse than to fork over the green backs until then). $1200 that ye ol’ seminary student really doesn’t have. $1200 that I’ll be paying on for the next several years.

When it rains it shits…

Can a brotha getta amen?!?

And the thing is: I hate money with a passion that burns bright and strong.

Now I know everyone and there mother has there share of money issues, especially because of that hunk of metal in our garages and driveways we just can’t live without. I hate it, though, because of the shame it’s brought me through reckless consumerism. Just paint a big scarlet (or is that green?) dollar sign on me and call me Hester Prynne! And just as I am almost finished paying off my credit card debt and seriously refining my spending habits, making my recompense to Mammon and taking back my soul

BLAMO!

I’m hit with a two-punch swing that’s left me doubled-over, deflated and stressed.

*sigh*

Jesus’ words flood the air right now with reassurance that if God takes care of the sparrows, how much more will my Daddy take care of me? If He cloths the fields of flowers with more splendor than that of the robes of Solomon, how much more will my Father not leave me naked and unclothed?

But, Abba, I feel like a sparrow that’s been given a handful of sand instead of birdseed. Feed me your Bread (of Life), oh Yahweh.

Daddy, I feel like a naked flower whose petals have been plucked down to my stem. Cloth me Lord, according to your promises; please don’t leave me to the elements of a Michigan January.

Father, who art hallowed and in heaven, yet also with me and never forsaking me, teach me to trust you for my daily water pumps, seminary books, and tuition bills. Teach me to let You be You and handle the circumstances of my life, come what may, so that I can focus my attention on the righteous Rhythm of Your Kingdom-Life and Movement. Lord, may I not run like a Pagan, but rather as a Good and Faithful Servant. And Daddy, may you provide what I need today and teach me not worry about tomorrow, for You will take care of me, my Rock and Salvation.

Selah

I just spent the last 2 hours watching COPS. Not something I normally do on a Saturday night (although I am bored after returning to Michigan from DC!), but I needed to do somethings on the Mac and thought I would have some background “noise”.

After watching this program, I realize how insulated I am in my nice home (well, my parents) in the white suburbs, far removed from drugs, poverty, violence, battery, rape, and any other form of human despair. I write this both in thanks and also lament. I am thankful for God’s protection and care over my life and circumstances, but lament both being so far removed from pockets of social decay and also the fact that social despair and hopelessness exists.

I really wonder sometimes how much of handle God really has on this thing called life and time and reality. You look throughout history and even the present and see such…despair. I am reading a chapter in a book called Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places on how Christ plays and moves throughout history. And I finish this COPS marathon and think about my time in Romania with orphans and gypsies and about the news and really wonder sometimes where God is in all of this.

I know humans create much of this suffering. Our rage and arrogance and murderous hearts and greed and pride all move history in the direction of despair. And I know God does not cause suffering per se (although that is certainly ANOTHER blog post for another day), but like Dr. Cox from Scrubs sometimes I really want to scream: God, where are you?

This is just a short post on some reactive thoughts and I know most of them seem to be from no where, but I really struggle sometimes with God and history, and now thanks to COPS I have four more episodes worth of despair to add to my struggle…

-jeremy

…and after re-reading my post I wonder what is my role in this? As a follower of Jesus am I not called to deliberately follow Him into this despair? To take the Light of Christ into the heart of society’s centers of darkness that cultivate and perpetuate marginalization, inequity, crime and the hopelessness that undergirds all of it?

Instead this is what I do: I hide it under a fine bowl from Pottery Barn, setting upon my beautiful marble-top table from Crate and Barrel, nestled in a secure house (provided by ADT Security), behind a thick wooden door, guarded by a nice white-picket fence and all the plushness and security that comes from American Suburbia.

Maybe 2008 is the year to escape and light the darkness…

And I’m alive.

Tonight I should have died.
God could have taken my life this evening.
But He gave it back to me instead.

GOD GAVE ME BACK MY LIFE.

I’m still processing how profound that is, this whole 8 second experience.
In 8 seconds–actually if the 8 seconds were 3 seconds later–I could have died.
Tonight.
I should have plowed into at least five other cars.
But didn’t.
I don’t understand it.
I guess I don’t need to understand it.

All I need to understand is that God gave me back my life tonight.

And in my numbness, in my white-faced, dumbstruck numbness I don’t know what to do
or how to react
or how to be
or feel
or think

The only thing I can think to do is to cry
and hand my life back to Him.
But even that seems silly….

Tonight I should have died.
And for the first time, ever,
I thanked God that I am alive.
I thanked God
that I am
alive.

I’m still alive
and I don’t know what to do…

-jeremy

Technorati Tags: accidents, car accidents, death, life, tragedy

UPDATE 2: I’ve since posted a more exhaustive article on a Christian response to Evil.

UPDATE: This post stems from one I wrote last week called, “Where Was God In Minneapolis?” for those wondering my own response as an alternative to Piper’s.

I like many Americans am still fixed on the events from a week ago in Minneapolis. I am especially interested in how the Christian community responds, because we all know it has a soiled track record on responding well to pain and tragedy and hopeless world events.

Let’s have a little review: a few days after 9/11 a certain Evangelical leader blamed this tragedy on gays and feminists; after Hurricane Katrina, some other prominent Christian leaders said God wiped out New Orleans as judgment for their sins, mostly because of Burbon Street shenanigans and abortionists; and yet others swear the catastrophe in Iraq is an omen (well, I guess Christians don’t call them omens, but rather “signs of the times”) of the immanent return of Jesus and impending Seven Years of Tribulation, complete with the 666, Armageddon, and all.

Now John Piper, another Christian leader has written an interesting analysis of the spiritual implications of the Minneapolis, Minnesota bridge collapse for that community. I guess it makes sense since his church, Bethlehem Baptist church, is within sight of the bridge and his Desiring God offices are within a mile. His response is both pastoral and theological, with a bit of a theological tilt sans pastoral sensitivity.

I respect John Piper and know of plenty of people who have been ministered to by his books. I appreciate his heart for people and commitment to Jesus and seeing people restored to relationship to God through Jesus’ life and death. So I am not a hater and do not have a bone to pick with Pastor Piper.

But one of his latest blog posts entitled “Putting My Daughter To Bed Two Hours After The Bridge Collapse,” on desiringgod.org really has me confused. And in light of a previous post, I believe he’s wrong in his response and analysis. (How’s that for nice click bait!)

Technorati Tags: bridge collapse, christianity, minneapolis, mississippi river, john piper

So I am going to quote some from his post, highlight what I think is interesting, and then respond. I really do not want to be like some people on the internet who think it’s their mission from the Almighty to be watchbloggers of the blogsphere and keep the fires burning long enough to burn all the Christian neardowells on the internet. No, my point is not to string up Piper, but (hopefully) to offer a thoughtful response. I really hope it comes across as the later and not the former.

Here is some of what he wrote that caught my eye and some comments:

Tonight for our family devotions our appointed reading was Luke 13:1-9. It was not my choice. This is surely no coincidence. O that all of the Twin Cities, in shock at this major calamity, would hear what Jesus has to say about it from Luke 13:1-5. People came to Jesus with heart-wrenching news about the slaughter of worshipers by Pilate.

Jesus implies that those who brought him this news thought he would say that those who died, deserved to die, and that those who didn’t die did not deserve to die. That is not what he said. He said, everyone deserves to die. And if you and I don’t repent, we too will perish. This is a stunning response. It only makes sense from a view of reality that is radically oriented on God.”

I find it very odd that Piper would think there was some special message for the Twin Cities through Luke 13:1-9. When I read this I thought, “This is what God want’s to say to Minneapolis? If Jesus was walking around the twisted metal jutting from the ends of the bridge, wading into the Mississippi around the the chunks of concrete, and moving through the throngs of injured THIS is what he would say in the midst of this gut wrenching scene? Are you kidding me?

I’m sure there are other passages to point toward, but John 11 is so instructive. Lazarus, “the one [Jesus] loved” was sick. Jesus didn’t go immediately, because he knew this future moment would be a glorifying moment for him and his Father. But when he later went to Lazarus’ house, he was met by Martha who was beside her self and angry Jesus had not come sooner. And when he left her and entered the village, Jesus was met by Mary. John writes, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.”

And then he wept.

When Jesus encountered the scene of emotional chaos, saw the emotionally fragile state of Mary and felt the lament of Lazarus’ friends over his death, Jesus’ soul was overcome by the moment and in a very authentically human response Jesus cried. He had no words when he stepped into the confusion of the moment. Instead he simply sat with Mary and the Jews and joined in their weeping.

And I can’t help to think Jesus would have responded in the same way, not with a lecture or scroll full of words about sin and instructions on Minnesotans eternal destiny, but rather with the raw human response of tears and embrace.

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.

The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that we are sinners and need to repent? God’s message in the collapse of the bridge over the Mississippi River is that He is merciful, we are sinners, and there is still time to turn toward Jesus to be saved, or burn? Now I do not disagree with any of this theology, but to say that the meaning and message inherent in this tragedy is salvific is just silly and wretched.

I believe the story of Job has a similarly wretched encounter with people who wanted to label the reason for Jobs life tragedy. Several “friends” tried to blame Job by claiming he was living in sin and was being punished by God. Job responded by unmasking these idiots for who they were: miserable comforters!

Why must we preach to Minneapolis in this time? Why can’t we just sit with them in their grief, hold them, cry with them, and listen to their stories? Why must we insist on slapping The Passion all over this and insist that unless the Twin City repents God will keep sending more messages through more collapsing infrustructure until they get the hint that he’s ticked at their screwed-up-ness? (A bit over the top, I know, but still…)

…you and I know that God did not do anything wrong. God always does whated 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.”

[His daughter] 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.”

Sorry Piper, but that doesn’t jive. You mean to tell me that you would say to the mother who accidentally ran over her 5-year-old son as she moved her minivan to a different location outside her home, killing the boy, was willed by the purposeful “pinky” of God in all infinite wisdom? Again, are you kidding me?

While I support God’s sovereignty and his full participation in the human story, the tragedy of a mother backing over her son is no more directed by God than the collapse of a bridge that results in seven deaths and over seventy injured. God participates in reality as Immanuel, the God-with-us-God, not as Master Chess player. I am thankful that Jesus is the complete expression of the character of God, rather than Zeus, and I’m disappointed that Piper seems to respond with the later. (And yes I do realize this last paragraph dumped out any remaining worms in the proverbial can!)

I could go on, but I think I’ll stop. Again, I don’t mean to rip on Piper and I hope this post is more about the typical response by evangelicals and the broader Christian community to tragedy than it is about one man who does love Jesus and is trying his best to be a Pastor.

Now what do you think? Do you agree with John Piper? Is his response appropriate or more along the lines of the “miserable comforters” that Job had to put up with? How about me? Am I right to lament the Christian communities response to tragedy?

-jeremy

Much has been made throughout the blogsphere of the comments by John Piper in response to the Minnesota bridge collapse. From Christians to atheists and everyone in between, Piper seems to have left a sour taste in people’s mouths.

Last week I just found out about his comment and decided to write a response, both to deconstruct his post and to flesh out my own understanding of God’s sovereignty in the face of tragedy and evil. I think I made some good headway and had some great responses from people here and elsewhere over those ideas. But one thing was missing, which was noticed by a few people: my post provided little to the topic of how to help people amid pain and how we should actually respond and react to tragedy and evil.

Hopefully, this will provide a response and help some people think through this weighty, needed discussion. In short, how we respond to tragedy and evil as followers in the way of Jesus should flow from this understanding:

Technorati Tags: bridge collapse, christianity, evil, jesus, john piper, minneapolis, tragedy

My response to the immense evil and tragedy that engulfs our lives and the world is that Love is more powerful and far greater than the power of Evil. In fact, Evil has been defeated and stripped if it’s eternal power by Love through the real time-space event of the Cross, and the Church is called to carry along the power of the Cross by living in the Way of Jesus and spreading His message of hope and restoration.

Now let’s be clear: Evil still exists in the world. Things are not the way they were intended to be. People contract horrible diseases, natural disasters wipe out entire towns, entire people groups are systematically slaughtered, children die, and the list goes on. And as Paul helps us understand, there are real, deep, dark, magical Powers that undergird the real-life tragedies that plague humanity. So absolute Evil exists and has made it’s reign on the earth from the near start of creation.

But then something curious happend about 2000 years ago: invasion.

The Creator invaded Creation to stage the single greatest, most important rescue operation; God became Human and made His dwelling among us, full of love and as the fullest definition of how the world and being human is suppose to be. Jesus came to this earth to show a new way of living, the way of the Kingdom of Heaven, a way defined by loving God and loving others.

While Jesus showed us a new and better way of being human by loving the world around Him, the fullest expression of that love was displayed on the Cross, where Evil and Death was defeated. Jesus willingly endured the Cross to defeat the Power of Decay that touches the lives of all humans in an effort to restore the entire Creation to the way it was intended to be at the beginning.

As John says, “we know what love is because Jesus Christ layed down his life for us.” And that is what we as His followers are called to do: love the world around us with the furious, sacrificial love of God.

Now how does that look as we enter into moments of tragedy and evil? As Jesus loved, so we love. And since we are called to be Jesus to the world around us, I take seriously His call for us to do greater things than He did in the world. What did he while he was on earth? Jesus loved people through restoring them socially, emotionally, physically, spiritually, economically, and materially.

The woman at the well experienced social restoration by a loving Jesus in the face of a life held in tragic bondage. The lepor’s dignity and health was restored by a loving God in the face of a physical evil. A Roman official’s family was restored in the face of the tragedy of a dead little daughter, another act by a loving Yeshua. And ultimately, the Powers of this world who wallow in Evil and Tragedy and Death were vanquished through the subversive death of God; God killed God to kill Death and restore Creation to the way He originally intended it to be.

Jesus acted. And even while he taught, it always accompanied acts of love. And Jesus called us to teach and be and show and explaing the loving Way of Jesus to a hurting, broken, sobbing, grieving, cracked world. In the face of pain and suffering and tragedy and evil, the world does not need another idea or teaching. No, the world needs people committed to simply lovingly holding them while they hold the life-less body of their child. The world needs people committed to doing acts of love to help re-build lives devastated by natural disasters. The world needs people to listen to the stories of lives devastated by addiction and lovingly tell them that it will be ok. The world needs people who speak prophetic words of love and restoration for the marginalized and socially spit upon.

The world needs lovers, not teachers!

The rhythm of Jesus’ life was His love for the world, through his life and teachings and ultimately the Cross. If the way of Jesus was His love, then isn’t that also our way? As Jesus fully participated in gritty human drama, so also we must participate. As Jesus loved each person within their own narratives, confronting the pain and tragedy and alienation and death with love, so must we also do love in the great cloud of hurting witnesses that engulf us in our communities.

Ultimately, the world needs to know and understand and feel the power of love in the face of Evil. Jesus defeated Evil on the Cross through the power of Love, and He calls us to fully realize that same power by being Him to the world.

Because in the end:

But then I was sitting down to an episode of Scrubs (which was a repeat btw) and the perfect dialogue exchange occurred, providing clarity and dose of sanity. After Dr. Cox laments (read: complains) about some life circumstances, Laverne responds with some typical bumper sticker theology:

Laverne: Does it help to know that Jesus loves you?
Dr. Cox: [Nodding] It does not.
Laverne: Well, everything happens for a reason.
Dr. Cox: Are you really trying to tell me that things like, New Orleans, AIDS, sugar free ice cream, crack babies, Hugh Jackman, and cancer all happen for a reason? Because I’m sorry, I’m-I’m just not buying that.
Laverne: “God works all things for good” that’s Romans 8:28.
Dr. Cox: Bull Honky

Amen and Amen! I agree with Dr. Cox: that’s bull.

Technorati Tags: bridge collapse, minneapolis, mississippi river god faith scrubs

In the midst of tragedy, we don’t need to invoke Romans 8 and try and define the situation. Most of the time the only thing we can do in the chaos of life is to lean into it with lament, sorrow, and…GRIEF.

Grief is good, it is OK, it is human, it is earthy, it is authentic.

Jesus grieved when his good friend Lazarus died. When he stepped into the chaos of the moment, the Scriptures say his soul was overwhelmed and he wept. He didn’t have words for Mary and the other friends. No, instead of cute little ditties, tears were shed and groanings moaned. Jesus was so overcome deep down in his human self that his only response was to join in with Lazarus’ community and authentically express gritty human emotion. Yes, Jesus lifted up that grief to His father and brought the fullness of Yahweh’s power to rest on the moment through Lazarus’ resurrection, but before that he was present in the fullness of his human-ness.

May we simply join in with the Minnesota community and grieve. May we express gritty, earthy, human emotion and weep. May we simply be present, as a human, and leave the bumper sticker theology for another day.

-jeremy

At least three nine people were killed and over 20 79 injured when an interstate bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapsed Wednesday evening, plunging over 50 cars and chunks of concrete into the Mississippi River below. (CNN)

Technorati Tags: bridge collapse, minneapolis, mississippi river