Dead Samaritan

https://www.yahoo.com/news/georgia-fire-chief-stopped-help-165440802.html

Fire Chief. Stopped to help. Shot to death. News like this don’t normally grab the headline.

Or currently, in California, Los Angeles to be more exact, firefighters are exhausting, overworked and hopefully, not under-appreciated.

I watched The Towering Inferno the other night and came away with a much deeper appreciation for those who “gave their lives so others may live”. It doesn’t hurt we’ve got a A+ class of actors e.g. Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway and William Holden among others.

It reminds me of the Titanic “I am the King of the World”….Roman Empire, Roman coins and grifter’s currency.

Of course, those who died by the way side, unsung heroes who “laid down their lives” are no longer around to display their Champion belts. All quiet on the Western front…I am sorry, I am sorry.

The measure of a man ranges anywhere from reflex to reflection, moments of triumph and loss, greed and grief.

We will not always take the elevator up to the Penthouse Suite. At times, it’s the lowly basement, with no ventilation and fresh air. Or on 9/11, played extremely well by Nicholas Cage, trapped under the rubble.

We will have to get use to it. Good Samaritan or seminarian, per a Hindu thought, we die our death, lonely, but authentic. Given current Social Media, the only fear we have is ourselves, its self-projection and self-illusion (ask “creators” what happened when Tik Tok go dark).

When people are stranded and needing help. A call to 9-11 might not be quick enough.

We’re called to living as good Samaritan and not as the ambitious seminarian on his way to an upgrade interview. Blessed are those who lose life …for they may find it. The paradox of life is what we wanted most (unseen) involves first losing everything (seen) as prerequisite.

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