I was standing on the Quatama MAX
platform the other day waiting for the train. And then a potential
disaster began to unfold before me. A young woman was having an
emotional fight with her boyfriend and she was distraught. So she sat
down in the middle of the tracks, with her back to where the train
would be coming from. “This is how you make me feel!” she
shouted. Fortunately there was not a train coming at that moment, but
I knew that one would be coming along soon. I began to consider my
options. If this situation wasn’t resolved by the time the train
showed up, what would I do to help keep this young woman safe? Prior
to the train’s arrival she did get up, and they wandered off
through the parking lot, still arguing but no longer in imminent
danger. I breathed a sigh of relief and sent out a silent prayer for
her safety and emotional well-being. A few days later I became aware
of a resource that I might have used if I had known about it at the
time. Washington County has a “24 Hour Mental Health Crisis Line.”
(503.291.9111) I could have called them and said, “This is what’s
going on right now. Have you got any suggestions for how I can help
prevent a disaster?”
Jesus makes it clear that part of what
it means to live faithfully in this world is to take care of the
last, the lost and the least among us. It can be a big, scary world
out there, and sometimes (often) the situations we encounter are
bigger than we know what to do with. Sometimes we could benefit from
partners who can help us as we seek to help others. This Crisis Line
is one such partner. I invite you to consider entering the number
into your phone, because you never know when you might encounter a
situation where you could use a little help in making a difference.
- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in
the flow)
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