I have used this story before to drive home a point I wanted to make. The parable is well traveled and told in many iterations. As for its origins, I don’t know. What I do know, however, is that the lesson learned from this tale can be applied to the world’s current Coronavirus Pandemic. My favorite version goes. Like. This.
“A terrible storm came into a town and local officials sent out an emergency warning that the riverbanks would soon overflow and flood the nearby homes. They ordered everyone in the town to evacuate immediately. A faithful Christian man heard the warning and decided to stay, saying to himself, ‘I will trust God and if I am in danger, then God will send a divine miracle to save me.’
“The neighbors came by his house and said to him, ‘We’re leaving and there is room for you in our car, please come with us!’ But the man declined. ‘I have faith that God will save me.’
“As the man stood on his porch watching the water rise up the steps, a man in a canoe paddled by and called to him, ‘Hurry and come into my canoe, the waters are rising quickly!’ But the man again said, ‘No thanks, God will save me.’
“The floodwaters rose higher pouring water into his living room and the man had to retreat to the second floor. A police motorboat came by and saw him at the window. ‘We will come up and rescue you!’ they shouted. But the man refused, waving them off
saying, ‘Use your time to save someone else! I have faith that God will save me!’
“The flood waters rose higher and higher and the man had to climb up to his rooftop. A helicopter spotted him and dropped a rope ladder. A rescue officer came down the ladder and pleaded with the man, ‘Grab my hand and I will pull you up!’ But the man
STILL refused, folding his arms tightly to his body. ‘No thank you! God will save me!’
“Shortly after, the house broke up and the floodwaters swept the man away and he drowned.
“When in Heaven, the man stood before God and asked, ‘I put all of my faith in You. Why didn’t You come and save me?’ And God said, ‘Son, I sent you a warning. I sent you a car. I sent you a canoe. I sent you a motorboat. I sent you a helicopter. What more were you looking for?’”
In other words, it’s not up to others to take care of us. As humans, we have been given the tools and the talent to take responsibility for ourselves, and the empathy and compassion to help care for those who can’t.
Our community is full of metaphorical cars, boats and helicopters in the form of our health care community, law enforcement, government leaders and emergency
response teams who, by profession or by volunteerism, have offered themselves as the tools with which our city and county will come out on the other side of the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Take a moment and say a prayer for these amazing people. If you see them, thank them for their hard work and sacrifice.
Better yet, if you can, volunteer yourself.
