Hit And Run

Several days ago, I read an article by sportswriter Tom Verducci about the changing nature of the way baseball is played in the major leagues. One point he made is that the ancient strategy of the hit and run has almost disappeared on the professional level. I witnessed a perfectly executed hit and run eleven days ago. Unfortunately, I wasn't watching a baseball game when it happened. Perhaps only thirty seconds after exiting my apartment complex on my way to Sunday morning worship service, I was behind a vehicle as I pulled up to a STOP sign, preparing to turn left across traffic on Fondren, a fairly busy street. My mind was elsewhere as the guy (I'm assuming it was a guy) headed across the accumulative four lanes. There was a minivan coming the other way at I would guess the speed limit which is 35 MPH on Fondren. The car, also a minivan type, ahead of me nailed the other vehicle. He never slowed down, either never seeing the other car or thinking he could beat them to the point. It wasn't quite as bad as the picture above but it isn't totally far fetched either. I was stunned and as I was at the STOP sign, I jumped out of my Honda and took a couple of steps towards the intersection. THEN, the car that caused the accident took off! The lady in the other car got out and started screaming at him as he took off into the neighborhood behind Fondren. And he got away... I think. A bunch of people came out of the adjacent laundry mat with the noise of the crash so someone may have a license plate or at least a description for the police. It will be hard to hide the damage.

Why would someone run away from the damage they caused another when they were so obviously at fault? Maybe they had been drinking or had no insurance. Perhaps their license was suspended or there was an outstanding warrant for their arrest. It doesn't matter. They could have caused a fatality and there was at least one child in the other vehicle. But we see the same mentality in everyday life. People who should know better walk away from situations, sometimes catastrophic ones, that they caused without as much as a backwards glance. It's easier to run away than to own up to the mistake/mistakes. We see it in kids in school and kids on athletic teams. Excuses outnumber the taking of responsibility. The kids have learned it from the adults or at the minimum have had it reinforced by the adults. Teachers and coaches, two groups  in which I claim membership, are as guilty as anyone. So are Christians, another one of my subsets. Often, we have created crises in our congregations and solve them by going somewhere else. I'm not blameless here. Many years ago, I switched churches over a disagreement at a sporting event. I showed a great deal of maturity back in the day. I would guess one definition of spiritual growth is the willingness to confront our mistakes and make the necessary corrections/apologies/pleas for forgiveness. It's easier to just drive off into the neighborhood and leave others to clean up our messes which is what I saw first hand. But collisions, even emotional ones, cause damages. And damages need to be repaired and paid for.

Applicable quote of the day:
I compare it to being in a car accident. There's so much adrenaline rushing through you that you remember being in the accident but you don't remember any of the details. 
Brooke Langton

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com