Going First...
Published by Ronald Steed,
Mystic Micro-Gospels; small spiritual stories in and around my neighborhood in Southeast CT
He is standing across the street, looking angry at our local collection of Occupy Wall Street protestors; glaring. I can see the wheels turning while he is decides what to do. I wonder if he is drunk... will he hit someone?
He makes up his mind and strides across the street. We clutch our signs a little tighter and lean back in anticipation of the shock as he approaches. It won't be pretty... what will I do if he lunges at one of us?
Suddenly, the blur of a body moves out to him from among us. I catch my breath for the clash. My colleague smiles and extends his hand... "Welcome friend!" The man blinks and shakes his hand, not quite sure what just happened while my friend envelopes a shoulder with his arm. In three minutes the angry man is standing with us... a sign is in his hand, and he is having a smiling, animated conversation as he gets introduced to the rest of us... there is laughter.
I release my breath... I can't believe what I just witnessed... violence-averted... converted into engagement of the heart because someone reached out first in peace….
