Mingling with the Crowd
June 2024
A young police officer was taking his final exam at a police training college in north London. This was one of the questions:
“You are on patrol in outer London when an explosion occurs in a gas main in a nearby street. On investigation you find that a large hole has been blown in the footpath and there is an overturned van lying nearby. Inside the van there is a strong smell of alcohol. Both occupants–a man and a woman–are injured. You recognize the woman as the wife of your Divisional Inspector, who is currently away in the USA. A passing motorist stops to offer you assistance and you realize that he is a man who is wanted for armed robbery. Suddenly a man runs out of a nearby house, shouting that his wife is expecting a baby and that the shock of the explosion has made the birth imminent. Another man is crying for help, having been blown into an adjacent canal by the explosion, and he cannot swim.
Bearing in mind the provisions of the Mental Health Act, describe in a few words what actions you would take.”
The officer thought for a moment, picked up his pen, and wrote, “I would take off my uniform and mingle with the crowd.” *
I have always loved this story. We can sympathize with the answer. It makes us laugh. We may not be taking this young officer's stressful exam, but we all know that feeling of inadequacy and the temptation to give up when life overwhelms us.
Stress is prevalent throughout the marketplace. Whether it is securing a job, keeping a job, or managing to do good work within our job, the pressures abound. The same can be said about our private lives including relationships with friends, family or close community.
For years, City in Focus hosted day-long retreats called Pause for Perspective. The program gave brief reflections on life and faith and then allowed people time to take a walk, sit quietly alone, pray, meditate, or take a nap. By mid-afternoon those on retreat were changing. Slowly, the pressures of their life, often called “stressors” begin to lift. ** They went from looking worn out to relaxed, from sad or withdrawn to laughing and chatting, from anxious to peaceful.
We are far too often at our limit, either physically, emotionally, mentally or all of the above. But there is relief. We have to recognize our need and be willing to accept help. We pray and accept Jesus' offer of rest and respite.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me–watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. cf. Matthew 11:28 (Paraphrased from ‘The Message’)
Here Jesus invites us to join Him. When stressed and overloaded we can either give up and just "mingle with the crowd" or we can respond to Jesus' invitation and get relief. The choice is ours.
Blessings,
Tom Cooper
* Questions of Life by Nicky Gumbel, founder of Alpha
** Margins by Dr Richard Swenson discusses stressors in life