March 5, 2023

Quote for Today

William K. McElvaney, a methodist minster  tells a dramatic story in his book Good News Is Bad News is Good Ness. This story grabbed me.

"In recent months I have become increasingly aware that God not only disturbs me as an act of love for my liberation; God's love will also disturb me as others experience their liberation. 

A recent event in my life symbolized this for me.  I was in a hurry on an extremely cold December day to reach the Kansas City International Airport to meet a friend. As I neared the Paseo bridge, a  huge traffic tie up - developed and soon I found myself in bumper - to - bumper - traffic.  Time began to slip away and I still had a long way to go to reach the airport in time.  I fussed, fumed, and fretted.  What on earth was causing the problem, and why did it have to happen to me at this time?

"As my traffic line inched its way onto the bridge itself, seven or eight police cars came into, view along with several cars of local T.V.. stations.  An accident? A homicide? There was no sign of a wreck and it remained a mystery as to the cause of the problem.  As it turned out, the inconvenience was over soon enough for me to make my friends incoming flight.  The incident was forgotten.

"Until I picked up the paper the next morning. The front page headline, pictures, and article, recounted a dramatic episode on the underside of the bridge.  Answering a report that a young man was apparently poised to jump to almost certain death in icy waters of the Missouri River  below, a policeman had positioned himself below the bridge a few feet from the man. With help from colleagues on the bridge, the policeman harnessed  himself in a rope  and precariously moved towards the man on a narrow ledge.  About the time it appeared to the policemen that he might convince the man not to jump, the man leaped off the bridge.

 "At precisely the critical moment the policeman also leaped and caught the man in mid-air, both being supported by the policeman's rope  harness  from the top side of the bridge. There they dangled and struggled with each other. The policeman told the struggling man, 'I'm going to hold onto you till hell freezes over, and if you go down, I'll go down with you.

Following agonizing moments of uncertain maneuvering, they were both pulled to safety  One man risked his life. Another's man's life was saved.  [p.39]