Don’t Take the Subway

Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. – Philippians 2:4 (CEB)

As a tourist in Dallas, I decided to take the subway, despite the fact that a few local people said it wasn’t safe. But I was on a spiritual pilgrimage to the newest Fluevog Shoe store, a holy site that beckons a teeny tiny fan base who fit in a shoe-obsessed snow globe that knows no bounds. 

At the ticket kiosk, a kind person asked if I needed help. After explaining Covid-19 instructions and telling me that this was not a “subway” but a “train,” I got the chance to invite him to Wilshire Baptist Church where I would be preaching that Sunday. 

But getting off the train, I was sideswiped by a person in an Amazon uniform vest. What did he want? Had he come to arrest me for putting too many stupid cat toys and rare hot sauces on my Wish List? I live in fear of anyone from Amazon revealing my bad shopping habits to the world.

Turns out he just wanted to give me some practical advice: “Don’t take your iPad out, two folks were stalking you and I’ve had my phone snatched twice on this train.” 

Next thing you know, I had a list of local places to eat and he had a brand-new shoe store to visit in Dallas, and as it turns out, he had family in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and well, you know how it goes…

So far, every warning I got against the local train turned out to be a reason to take the local train. There are good people everywhere looking out for each other. And you never know who God is speaking through next.

Prayer
Thank you for public transportation and for the public who keep it safe and working.

About the Author
Lillian Daniel serves as Conference Minister with the Michigan Conference UCC. She is the author of Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don’t Belong To and When “Spiritual But Not Religious” Is Not Enough.