Note: As I type these words, I am sitting at a coffee shop just outside the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Nineteen hours ago, the Interstate 35W Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River, collapsed just as the evening rush hour was winding down. Though it is too early to confirm, it is thought that as many as fifty passenger cars plunged into the river last night, not to mention the dozens of cars, trucks, and school busses that remain on the collapsed bridge deck. The recovery continues today, but the number of fatalities will likely reach thirty. By the time you read these words, we will know for sure, but for right now, my community is rocked by grief, suffering, and uncertainty.

So far, I don't personally know anyone immediately impacted by this tragedy, but that could change; the Twin Ci…