By Bob Hulteen
During my morning devotion time a couple months ago, I heard a story on Minnesota Public Radio (don’t judge me for listening to the radio during my devotions) about a car fire the night before along Interstate 94 near Snelling that had snarled traffic just after rush hour. Cathy Wurzer (isn’t she the best?) described the scene of a car engulfed in flames with a driver trapped inside. Detailing the situation, she noted cars stopping smack dab in the middle of the highway, seemingly immobilized by the horrifying circumstances.
I offered a quick prayer for the wellbeing of all involved. And, I moved on with my devotional reading and reflection.
It was a few weeks later when I came across a video of the car accident and was pulled back to that moment. I found an online for a news story and learned more of the details. I was shocked that this story was everything but your ordinary tragic accident. This is what caused those cars to stop abruptly in the middle of the road: The Interstate’s guard rail obstructed the driver’s door of the crashed vehicle, and flames engulfed the undercarriage. The driver was trapped inside. And clearly, the car would soon be ablaze.
“Once that person jumped in, many others followed suit, risking their wellbeing by joining him.”
Of course, cars were slowing, many drivers undecided on how to react. That is, until one person quickly pulled over, jumped out of their vehicle, and quickly began wrenching the car door to free the trapped driver. And, once that person jumped in, many others followed suit, risking their wellbeing by joining him. Working together, the driver was freed; after many unsuccessful attempts to open the car door, the group managed to break the driver’s-side window and drag him out.
It was a Good Samaritan story to say the least. And yet it struck me how willing these passersby were to put themselves amid the flames to make sure that man got out.
SINCE WATCHING THAT video, I have been reflecting about similar situations in my life. On an entrance ramp in Dayton, Ohio, I once came upon a car engulfed in flames myself. Against the better judgment of my riders, I jumped out to make sure no one was in that car, and was grateful to find it empty. In that case, I didn’t have to make the difficult decision of approaching the fire, risking myself, for the safety of another. But it challenged me to consider if I would.
Often while riding the bus, an incident of some sort will begin – normally a disagreement between passengers. My immediate response is to engage, but then I start to wonder if my actions will be misconstrued. Or, I’d question whether I was misreading the situation. Perhaps I was simply looking for an excuse not to become involved.
My sense is that we don’t make the decision to be a Good Samaritan in the heat of the moment. Self-doubt and wrestling included, I think the decision to risk one’s own safety for another is an intentional decision, based on one’s real-world experience of community.
“My sense is that we don’t make the decision to be a Good Samaritan in the heat of the moment.”
One of the most important things I learned as a young person from movement leaders was that entering places of pain in the world is done with forethought; the benefits and risks are already weighed. Of course, we don’t know if that decision will be actualized until a risky situation presents itself (which hopefully it never does).
Sure, adrenaline can play a part. But, I suspect that even that chemical reaction of the body happens because we have considered or lived in circumstances that “encourage” us to imagine how we would act.
So, that’s now a regular part of my morning devotion: God, prepare me mentally, emotionally, spiritually to experience the life of community so abundantly that I can imagine that when crisis strikes, I don’t pull over to watch but rather rush in.