All right, yes I do.
Eddie Diaz, age 26, died unnecessarily by falling under a train. Why?
Witnesses told police that Diaz realized he left his cellphone on a bench as the train left the station. Diaz then broke the glass of the emergency safety mechanism, pulled the emergency stop lever and exited through the front passenger door, police said.
What does this say about Mr. Diaz and his priorities? More than that, what does it say about the society we’ve fashioned for ourselves, that a person would come to see something so insignificant as worth his life?
- Young people in Chicago shoot each other over a pair of gym shoes.
- Women choose to kill their unborn child in favor of a relationship, career, or their “freedom.”
- Men and women divorce after decades of marriage because the thrill is gone.
- People of all ages abuse drugs and alcohol as a means to cope with life’s stresses.
As a species and a culture, our selfishness is staggering. Ironically, it’s that very selfishness that militates most against our own good and well-being.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.¹
¹ Eph 4:22-24 NIV
Amen! I’ve been praying and thinking about this stuff too! What have we made, and where are we headed? Can’t help think of this in light of 2 Timothy 3:1-5:
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”
You also might be interested in my blog from today, similarly focused: http://pastordavejohnson.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-crucible-washington-and-walmart.html
How dare you judge a person’s life on one event? You know nothing about Mr. Díaz or what happened that day except for what was reported. Was he unemployed and expecting a call from a potential employer? You don’t know! Obviously he made a bad judgement call and it cost him his life. Don’t tell me you’ve never made one. And all this bologna about growing up in Michigan with a Beaver Cleaver upbringing means what? I grew up in Michigan as well. That doesn’t give me the right to use someone’s misfortune to tell others how self righteous I am. Can you cast the first stone? Jesus died for the imperfect, sounds to me like you feel you’re not in the category. Why don’t you try helping improve our society by volunteering to making a difference? Instead of criticizing and telling others how perfect YOU are. I sir, am seeing a different view of you from where I’m standing.
Elizabeth,
Thank you for commenting. It was not my intention to judge Mr. Diaz, only his actions, which any objective reading of the account can only be described as foolish and selfish. By pulling an emergency cable on a moving train, Mr. Diaz set in motion a series of events that might have impacted hundreds of people—his family included—and did ultimately cost him his life.
And for what? A cellphone.
In re-reading the post, I don’t believe I was being judgmental, I only wished to point out how we, as a society, have become less concerned for others (even sometimes our own well-being) and more concerned for our convenience, comfort, and material possessions. You are correct in your assertion, that among sinners, I am first. You are completely wrong about everything else you say about me.
I didn’t read anywhere in this post any assertion that I am better than anyone else. Be that as it may, I find it odd that in your comment, you engage in the same judgements you accuse me of using. You don’t know me and yet you presume to know what I do. In fact you know nothing about me, other than 3 or 4 hundred words on my blog. However, I will not use this forum to defend myself through a list of my altruism and good deeds. That is for God to decide when I depart this life. My point in writing this post was to get us to reflect on what we truly value and whether those things are worth valuing. That’s all. Mr. Diaz was a very unfortunate object lesson—God rest his soul.
I am sorry, Elizabeth, that I communicated my point poorly, at least to you. But we can certainly have a civil discussion of the issues without mounting our high horse.
Thanks for visiting.
Rob