Recently four young people lost their lives in separate accidents. One of them was someone I knew. The sad thing is that none of these people had to die when they did. Their deaths were 100% preventable. Yet, it is considered bad manners to bring this up.
One of the four died when he was struck by a passenger train. Why he was walking along a known active railroad track, nobody knows. This is the main line linking Chicago and Detroit and was recently upgraded to high-speed rail (or what passes for high-speed rail around here, which is around 100 mph). Apparently he did not hear or respond to the horn and the train could not stop in time. So now there will be a funeral and all kinds of pious things no doubt will be said, but the one thing that will not be touched with a 20-foot pole is why was he out there in the first place? Oh, no, you don't ask such questions.
The other three died in car accidents. The one I knew died when he lost control of his truck on a stretch of freeway which has long had a reputation for fatal accidents. Witnesses reported that he had been driving erratically at high speed, weaving in and out of traffic. And then he must have hit a spot of black ice because the truck flew off the road and overturned. Well, I know about black ice, having had some encounters with it myself. So I have tremendous respect for it and what it can do.
But the case that really upsets me are the two teenagers who were from a private Christian school. These two were on their way to school when their van slid out of control on a back road and hit a tree. But it is all right because they are now in the hands of Jesus. To hear their pastor carry on, everyone who knew them were uplifted by their witness for Christ, that God was glorified through them, and such. Yes, they were a witness all right when their van slammed into a tree and burst into flames shortly after passing a car which had pulled over to let them go by. I know that road and I know what the speed limit is on that road and I do not even want to think about how fast they had to be going in order for their van to burst in flames like that. Those that saw the accident aren't likely to ever get it out of their minds. Oh, yes, this is glory for God. "Just an accident", said one of the commenters in protest because someone else had the bad taste to point out that maybe things like this might be a good reason for parents to teach their children how to drive on winter roads. No. It was NOT just an accident. I've seen the way some of these drivers drive on these back roads--they think they are on the Interstate or something, trying out for the local speedway. You come to a stop sign, look very carefully both ways before making a turn; the road is empty so you turn and the very next minute from out of nowhere you have someone riding your back bumper at 60+ and then they blow by you like you are standing still. Some of these people, I swear must be doing 80 or 90. On a two lane back road. And I bet that is exactly what these two teenagers were doing before they hit the ice and lost control.
There was a song a while back, called "Jesus, Take the Wheel" about a young mother with a baby in the backseat who was in a similar situation, driving way, way too fast when she hit black ice. And as she spun out of control, she cried out "Jesus, take the wheel" and of course He stepped in and saved the day. That didn't happen here. In fact I don't even think these kids had time to even think anything like that before they hit the tree. If they were going at the speed I think they were going they had no time to think at all. It was over that quick. As I said before I've been in lesser situations so I have a pretty good idea about these things. The difference was, I was able to walk away from them. These kids will never get a second chance. They're done. They gambled. And lost.
Or did they? I have been to many churches and heard many preachers practically have orgasms telling their congregations about the wonderful life awaiting the saved in the Kingdom of Heaven. Even Paul in one of his letters says it is better to leave this life and be with the Lord. I am not surprised then, when this life is so devalued in favor of what supposedly is to come, to see people take risks with their lives because it's a win-win proposition all the way. These kids are in glory now. The fact that they could have killed others when they lost control--well, we don't talk about that. God forbid we should preach responsibility. No, let's make these two foolish teens spiritual heroes.
And in the meantime, more young people will needlessly die . . .
One of the four died when he was struck by a passenger train. Why he was walking along a known active railroad track, nobody knows. This is the main line linking Chicago and Detroit and was recently upgraded to high-speed rail (or what passes for high-speed rail around here, which is around 100 mph). Apparently he did not hear or respond to the horn and the train could not stop in time. So now there will be a funeral and all kinds of pious things no doubt will be said, but the one thing that will not be touched with a 20-foot pole is why was he out there in the first place? Oh, no, you don't ask such questions.
The other three died in car accidents. The one I knew died when he lost control of his truck on a stretch of freeway which has long had a reputation for fatal accidents. Witnesses reported that he had been driving erratically at high speed, weaving in and out of traffic. And then he must have hit a spot of black ice because the truck flew off the road and overturned. Well, I know about black ice, having had some encounters with it myself. So I have tremendous respect for it and what it can do.
But the case that really upsets me are the two teenagers who were from a private Christian school. These two were on their way to school when their van slid out of control on a back road and hit a tree. But it is all right because they are now in the hands of Jesus. To hear their pastor carry on, everyone who knew them were uplifted by their witness for Christ, that God was glorified through them, and such. Yes, they were a witness all right when their van slammed into a tree and burst into flames shortly after passing a car which had pulled over to let them go by. I know that road and I know what the speed limit is on that road and I do not even want to think about how fast they had to be going in order for their van to burst in flames like that. Those that saw the accident aren't likely to ever get it out of their minds. Oh, yes, this is glory for God. "Just an accident", said one of the commenters in protest because someone else had the bad taste to point out that maybe things like this might be a good reason for parents to teach their children how to drive on winter roads. No. It was NOT just an accident. I've seen the way some of these drivers drive on these back roads--they think they are on the Interstate or something, trying out for the local speedway. You come to a stop sign, look very carefully both ways before making a turn; the road is empty so you turn and the very next minute from out of nowhere you have someone riding your back bumper at 60+ and then they blow by you like you are standing still. Some of these people, I swear must be doing 80 or 90. On a two lane back road. And I bet that is exactly what these two teenagers were doing before they hit the ice and lost control.
There was a song a while back, called "Jesus, Take the Wheel" about a young mother with a baby in the backseat who was in a similar situation, driving way, way too fast when she hit black ice. And as she spun out of control, she cried out "Jesus, take the wheel" and of course He stepped in and saved the day. That didn't happen here. In fact I don't even think these kids had time to even think anything like that before they hit the tree. If they were going at the speed I think they were going they had no time to think at all. It was over that quick. As I said before I've been in lesser situations so I have a pretty good idea about these things. The difference was, I was able to walk away from them. These kids will never get a second chance. They're done. They gambled. And lost.
Or did they? I have been to many churches and heard many preachers practically have orgasms telling their congregations about the wonderful life awaiting the saved in the Kingdom of Heaven. Even Paul in one of his letters says it is better to leave this life and be with the Lord. I am not surprised then, when this life is so devalued in favor of what supposedly is to come, to see people take risks with their lives because it's a win-win proposition all the way. These kids are in glory now. The fact that they could have killed others when they lost control--well, we don't talk about that. God forbid we should preach responsibility. No, let's make these two foolish teens spiritual heroes.
And in the meantime, more young people will needlessly die . . .
