We had a fantastic day visiting Capitol Hill and all the other monuments and museums. It was refreshing to see how a youngish country has achieved so much in such a short span of time. The space exhibition was breath-taking as we were privilege to sit in a Max theatre to witness how men and women perform tasks in the space, with so much risk involved.
Late in the afternoon, we felt tired and decided to call it a day. We were at the Smithsonian underground train station, our train had arrived and we got in safely until young Kay started shouting my teddy …my teddy….my teddy. My wife saw the passion in his eyes and decided to jump out on the platform to fetch his teddy which was lying on the ground. I call it brave, she grabbed the lovey teddy, but the train started moving rather profusely. We all started wondering what to do – some of us started shouting in vain knowing the driver cannot hear us. I got incalculably worried because the train was securely locked, there was no mobile phone facility (at least my family and I had not entered the vicious addiction of cell or mobile phone race then). My chief concern was, my dear wife was not a keen navigator; at least she claimed that she never needed to be. She did not have our family home details, their address or house phone details, I was increasingly getting into panic mode and speed of the train doubling up every second.
But I was proud of her effort, she jumped out bravely not caring for own safety, her main focus was, she will not leave Kay’s teddy on the station knowing very well that by the time we take a round trip to come back, it will either be swept away by the sheer speed and wind generated by the trains or smitten under feet and thrown in the bin. She knew the consequences well, her motherly instincts had almost forced her out from being in a state of security into deliberate danger. She knew Kay had several other favourite toys but for days and weeks to come he will not let go of his lost toy, which would cause so much hassle for the parents.
Have you ever jumped into danger knowing well the consequences. I am sure you have – and it takes a special effort and determination. Professor Cowie of British Psychological Society notes that when there are several bystanders, "People decide that there must be someone else more qualified than they are to take responsibility for intervening to help. If someone is a friend of the victim, they are much more likely to intervene." God did not depend on anyone else but His only Son to save us. He dived into dangerous and broken world, as only He could do what others could not. Because He cares and loves us – was prepared to even give His life for us.
Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”. It is not about scoring points, it’s all about caring for one another. We need each other, and above all to uphold the law of God.
Do not ask me how, but the train stopped suddenly and we hurriedly pulled my brave wife into the train. Do not wait on others, choose today to pull someone out of danger, be it physical abuse, mistreatment, discrimination, prejudice, or spiritual degradation.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
By Elder Ramesh Massey