Ever seen road rage in action? No, I wasn’t involved, but I saw it happen.
While driving to work yesterday morning on a major busy street, I was behind a pick up truck that was driving slow, changing lanes erratically, and swerving off his lane continually. I was irritated, and certainly didn’t want to get into an accident with him, so I quickly drove pass him first chance I had.
From my rear view mirror, I saw he was holding up traffic and getting honked at. Than a guy in a black car rolled down his window and started yelling at the driver of the pick up truck. Next thing you know, these 2 cars stopped in the middle of the street, blocking the only 2 lanes on that street, and the drivers got out and began physically fighting. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like either had a weapon.
Since I was the car right in front of the pick up truck, I was the last car that was able to move forward while a long line of cars backed up behind them. I couldn’t see anymore as I continued to drive forward. Eventually, cars came up behind me, so I assume the fight broke up.
It is amazing to me how people cannot let trivial things go. Someone cuts in front of you, someone rushes by and bumps you without apology, someone cheats you out of a few bucks. The incident won’t affect a single thing in your life. Yet, you don’t choose to forgive.
We’ve all been there. We hold on to a pain, let it get the better of us, and allow it to explode. We heatedly spread the story of how we were injured, and we continue to let it fester.
If a mundane thing like driving can get us all worked up, how will we deal with bigger offenses?
No wonder our world is full of violence and hate.
Choosing to forgive. Choosing to give grace to the offensive party. I think that is a mark of a Christian.