Love Thy Neighbour...

On my way to work yesterday, I had an encounter that I in no way could have prepared for. I saw a man lying in the middle of the road, who just seconds before had been hit by a car. I had gotten to the scene just moments after the accident had occurred. When I got there, I noticed that no one was going close to the body and it was not clear if the man had yet succumbed to his injuries. I proceeded to approach him to try to get a response all the while praying that he would not die. I stooped down next to him and I heard him gasping for breath every few seconds. It was like every few seconds his breath left him and then returned.

At this point, I realised that everyone else seemed to be standing around but not doing anything. I then tried to call 911 but the phone rang without an answer. While I was trying to call back the craziest thing started to happen. Cars were still trying to drive around the MAN in the road to get to where they were going, so much so I had to use my body as human marker so that they didn’t run over him. This blatant disregard of human life was beyond my comprehension, yet in the moment I felt led to do what I felt necessary and forget the rest.

The lady on the phone from 911 began to walk me through the necessary steps to try to save his life before the paramedics arrived. She asked me to inspect his body and I saw that he had a cut to his neck that was bleeding. She instructed me to get a clean cloth to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. I ran to my car and got my cardigan which this morning, I picked out with an intentional focus that I did not normally have. I picked out my favourite cardigan while getting ready for work, completely unaware that this same peach cardigan would be needed in this way. [There is more here to be gleaned but it has not yet come to me.] I informed her that he was not breathing normally and was gasping for air every few seconds. She asked if anyone there was CPR certified. There was a man there who was also certified but he quickly stated that he could not do it because he needed to go relieve his next shift. Again, the blatant disregard for human life began to sound an alarm in my head and heart, but it was not time to fully combat this despicable paradigm.

A man living close to the accident site came running over with towels to cover the man up to bring some dignity to this soul who was fighting for his life before our very eyes. Seeing him approach us, was something of hope for reconciliation of these gut-wrenching feelings I would have to contend with after the ordeal. This same man began the CPR procedure and continued until the ambulance came.

I had never met the man that we were trying to save, I didn’t even know his name, yet this was not a hinderance to help save his life.

I decided to write about and share this experience because I do not feel that what I did was unique to me. I feel that if you are breathing and you identify as a HUMAN BEING this should be standard. Seeing people drive around a whole human being as if he were a dead animal or something without worth is something I will probably never get over and to be honest, I hope I don’t.

We spend so much time up in arms about things that when it all comes to down to the wire, have no true significance. 2020 has been a whirlwind year for us all, but I guess I hoped that in the midst of the chaos, heartbreak, mourning, at the very least, 2020 would bring us back to what truly matters… each other!

When the ambulance arrived finally, there was a man that stopped, not to help, but to record the events taking place. Like seriously?! I cannot tell anyone how to live their lives and what choices they should make. I can, however, try to live my life in a manner that is pleasing to God and that takes stock of those surrounding me.

I pray that we can find it our hearts to try to slow down and be kind to each other. I pray we forsake our selfish ways and pursue a love not as this world gives but that which our Heavenly Father provides. May we never be too caught up in ourselves that the life of another becomes worthless to us. May loving our neighbour become more than just a trendy slogan and more of a way of life.

I ask you to join me in prayer for his recovery. We serve a God who is able to do the miraculous, never the less, His will be done not ours.