Words of Life: An Enduring Legacyনমুনা

Acting on impulse.

None of them had any inkling that it was to be their last day on earth. Why would they? Probably the day passed as most others, except for the final, tragic minutes.

In 20 words or fewer, their last heroic moments are recorded on hand-painted ceramic tiles in the little-known Postman’s Park in central London. Mary, a stewardess, who voluntarily gave away her lifejacket and went down with the ship; Howard, who died from extreme cold, having saved five people when ice on a frozen lake gave way; an apprentice who rescued colleagues from an industrial explosion, but was fatally scalded.

And so the tributes continue. Ordinary people acting courageously on the spur of the moment, rescuing complete strangers from a variety of perils and dangers. Their selfless action is recorded in the Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice in the ground adjacent to St Botolph, Aldersgate.

Would they have acted as they did had they known the cost to themselves and their loved ones? No one knows. But the common themes running through the memorial tiles are of concern, courage, and compassion far greater than hesitancy, prudence, or non-involvement. We rightly salute them for their on-the-spot, impulsive, sacrificial actions.

Jesus, too, was heroic in his last act of self-sacrifice, but there was nothing spur-of-the-moment in his bravery. He had counted the cost and was fully aware of the inevitable outcome. He knew opposition, suffering, and death awaited in Jerusalem, but he chose it for the sake of others, and the Bible says it was for us all.

None of us knows how we would react if we were confronted with a life-threatening situation. Would we make a snap decision to act in a way that put our lives in danger for the sake of others? In most everyday decisions, we have time to consider before acting. Daily, there are opportunities to help others, but we need to decide to take risks, display courage, and exercise fortitude.

It’s our choice!