I was approaching a red light yesterday afternoon, with the intent of making a right-hand turn. As I neared the intersection, however, I saw the alarming flashing of lights and slowed as I tried to assess the situation. The policeman came through the light across from me, as I stopped for the red light in the right hand lane and another fellow driver stopped in the left. Behind the policeman was line of cars following him, with their hazards flashing.
A funeral procession.
My first thought was random: Can I still turn on red after I stop, or do I wait for all the cars to come by first? What is protocol? I think it is to wait. So I will wait, because I don’t want to be rude.
My second thought was relief: The light has turned green now and the guy in the left hand lane next to me is waiting, too. I made the right choice.
My third thought was fleeting and quickly discarded: This is going to make me late, but that’s ok.
(For once I wasn’t drumming my fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, making guttural noises and uttering general blasphemy at the world at large.)
My fourth thought was a bit more noble: I should take a moment to pray for these people while they drive by and I wait. Their lives have just been interrupted, if not shattered. And this is a really long line of people who have just had a really bad day. Dear God…
My final coherent thought was complete and utter outrage and disbelief. What in the…are you serious? You have GOT to be kidding me. Of all the rude…are you serious? SERIOUSLY??? Get out of the…I cannot believe the nerve of this guy!
So yeah. Another car entered into play, completely squelching my pious notion of prayer and turning it into open-mouthed gibberish just short of cursing. He came up from behind me, in the left-turn lane. He went into the dead middle of the intersection, intending to play the “wait until the light turns red and because I’m in the middle of the intersection, I have to turn so hahaha to all the rest of you suckers waiting patiently for your turn” driving card. Except it didn’t work. The light turned red again, and the procession continued without a break. Slowly and methodically. I was seething. I was also embarrassed. I felt like that car somehow damaged the reputation of every one of us at that intersection. Eventually he quit his slow creeping forward as he got the hint that he wasn’t turning any time soon. He even had the grace to finally put his piece into reverse and get his rear back closer to where it belonged anyway. Or maybe he just spotted the cop with flashers at the far end of the procession and didn’t want to get his hand slapped for being…insensitive and in the way (is there a ticket for that??) But it didn’t matter why. He cleared the intersection, and ultimately, the cars passed and the pause button was lifted as everyone resumed their normal flow of speed and direction. But I couldn’t quit thinking about what I had just seen and the thoughts it caused me to think.
Is it really that impossible for us to take time out for those suffering or in need? Or to take time out to just be plain polite and sensitive? What happened to others first? A genuine smile? A squeeze on the shoulder? What is WRONG with us?
I can be as outraged as I like, but the truth is, often that is me. Oh, not in the intersection. At least not THIS time. But so absorbed in my own petty issues that I neglect to notice or care about the problems of others. Or maybe I notice but I just don’t want to mess with it so I fake distraction. Or busyness.
As Christians, as a culture, heck as humans, it’s time we decided to be willing to take time out. And not sitting on a chair in the corner. But in the thick of life and messy human emotion and need. I don’t want to be the rude dude in the intersection trying to get somewhere a minute sooner at the expense of a whole line of brokenhearted people.
So this thought is for me.
Time. Out.
No comments:
Post a Comment