I saw a beating tonight, on the edge of the road as I went down to Taco Bell for a late night snack. It wasnt a police beating like the ones that make the news, it wasnt some big riot with dozens of people on each side. Instead it was two men, fighting about something or other that was of some importance to them, swinging at each other with fists. It could have been a bar fight, but there was no bar, it could have been about a girl, but there was no girl either. They were on the curb between two parked semi’s, one of them taking most of the hits and kinda falling over the curb.
I might have stopped, I most certainly could have stopped, and maybe I should have. But this is the real world out here folks. As I went by, there was a car kinda slowing down and checking it out, about three or four guys in it. Hispanic from the sounds of their music. And I didnt stop. See, back home I could have kinda just waltzed in, called 911 and kept things kinda under control til the officers got there. Out here, Id be afraid to get out and interfere with them, the cars that slow down, check it out, and then keep going scare me. Who knows but that this isnt some gang fight, it could have been, and these cars were all members just watching to see how it was going. I wasnt quite willing to try to find out, I dont trust strangers, late at night, in a fight, to not be armed and willing to shoot me.
Lest everyone think that we are completely isolated, this was all of like half a mile from school. I dont say that to scare you, for I dont want to do that at all. Im just sharing what I saw tonight with the hope that some people will not think that we are so far away from this. It is on our doorstep friends! While some are studying in the lounge, or three hours into their nights rest, or watching a favorite movie, or writing a paper, there are people just down the street that cant stand up because they got beat, cant find their way home because their eyes are swollen shut.
Lest you all think I am heartless and left a man to die. There were police and paramedics at the scene when I came back past a few minutes later. In their lights, I only saw one man sitting there with his shirt off, his face all bloodied, some people attending to his wounds. And I wonder what happened to the other guy, the one beating this one up. And I also wonder how we can impact these people. See, it makes me so frustrated that here we have a man, beating down one of his fellow brothers. You know its wrong, I know its wrong, the law says its wrong, but none of that matters to the angry guys swinging at each other. And if I step into the middle of something like that, I cant appeal to the righteousness or unrighteousness of what they are doing, they dont care. All they want to do is punch each others face in. What we can do my dear dear readers, is pray for them. I dont know his name, I dont know where he comes from or what language he speaks.
What I do know is that he needs to hear the gospel.
Beautifully written, Amos. It is not a beautiful topic but you spoke the truth. The real question now is how willing am I to share that truth? What will I give for the sake of the gospel? What will I give to save those who are dying without hope??
Thanks…
A slightly different application that won’t seem terribly spiritual – parents aren’t all that silly and narrow minded when they want their kids home at night, not walking around alone (or even like two girls alone), etc.
It IS sad to see… I dunno… the depravity of man… amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, and that can save other wretches, too.
Well, I have to say I’m not too surprised. In New York, if you see something like that happen, you just keep walking. That is sad, though, since that’s really not the response we should have. How low have we gone so that we so love ourselves that we don’t even stop to fight injustice? All I can think of is the Great Samaritan… I’m not bashing you at all, but us in general — me personally.
hm…honestly though, if an event like that is surprising to any of us, we need to get out of the bubble.