Truck drivers have been in the news lately. Last week, one part of our businesses announced the winner of the best of the nominations in an internal scheme to award someone who has done something special. Often these events are spectacular for their lack of the spectacular, but this one was different.
The driver concerned was parked beside a busy main road (not as in the picture) having a break when nearby an accident occurred. A tanker and another vehicle had collided. Without delay this thoughtful individual left the safety of the cab and acted speedily to pull the driver from the tanker moments before it burst into flames and then extracted the car driver from the carnage too. That was quick witted, it was brave and yes, deserving of the applause of colleagues and the sizeable cheque that went with it.
Why make this point? A COVID risk assessment, a road traffic risk assessment, a tanker safety risk assessment and an assessment of the overall scene would have lined up a catalogue of life-threatening reasons to avoid involvement and to keep away – emergency services were due imminently – what else could be done without risk to life? The answer was simple – save a life in immediate peril.
The parable of the good Samaritan does not mention risk assessments but it describes human nature that turns, not on possible risks but on motivation: in an emergency, do you put yourself first or other people? The good Samaritan was concerned for the other while most people passed by, busy with their own agendas.
As we head into some very difficult times ahead and the effects of the triple whammy of COVID, Brexit and energy hits us, some of us will put ourselves first and ‘take care’ while others will think bigger by adding two words ‘of all’. Self-centred people take care (of number one) while their counter-parties are concerned in taking care of all.
I am so glad our driver has been commended and made an example for putting his life at risk to save two more.
A Prayer
Lord, please grant me the gracious instinct to sense what I can do for other people before I calculate the risk to myself and my circumstances. Help me to see that the world turns best on generous acts and give me courage to be generous too. May I be less inclined to advise others on all they should do but do it myself when I can, for the sake of Jesus who ignored risk to give generously of his life for us all. Amen.