How busy are you?

"as we have opportunity"

Galatians 6:10

Ever seen this photo before?  If not, what do you think is happening in this picture?

I saw the photo in Smithsonian Magazine, but I found it online at a site called dipity.com

The man is James Meredith; the photographer was Jack R. Thornell.  The date was June 6, 1966 and Meredith had just begin the March Against Fear.  It was a solitary march, to protest racism in the United States.  He was going to march from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi ~ 220 miles.  His goal was to encourage black citizens to register and vote ~ to encourage them to not be afraid to exercise their constitutional rights.

Meredith was already well-known.  In 1962 he had been the first black person to enroll at the University of Mississippi, so although he was "marching" alone, there were reporters, photographers some police officers and a few followers who were nearby.

But shortly after he had begun, he was shot in the head, neck, back and legs.  Miraculously, he was not killed.  With the publicity created by his being shot, other civil rights campaigners continued the march, and Meredith was well enough to join them on June 25, the day before the march arrived in Jackson, Mississippi.

But here's the thing:  can you see the agony on that man's face?  It's what makes it such a striking picture ~ the timing of it is what makes it a Pulitzer Prize winner.  If he were lying fully down, as he probably was only a few seconds later, you wouldn't be able to see the expression on his face.   So great job with the camera, right?

But after taking this remarkable shot (with the camera... not the other shot) the photographer jumped back in his car, and drove off quickly to get it in to his boss.   Now, someone must have called an ambulance, but in the time it took for it to come, Meredith said he lay there hollering, "Isn't anyone going to help me?"  And as I look at his face, I just can't imagine the feeling of pain and helplessness.

But even more, I wonder what the photographer must have been feeling.  How do you watch that, snap off a dozen or so pictures, and then drive away, with your job being uppermost in your mind?

Now, to be fair, photographer Jack Thornell greatly regrets his action.  He and Meredith are friends now, and he says it still haunts him that he did nothing.  And I think that's good.  It sounds like he learned a lesson.  But I wonder how many of us need to learn that lesson.  Because the sin he committed there, was just pure selfishness.  And which of us hasn't been guilty of that?   I'm sure he thought there was simply nothing he could do; he was confident that someone would call an ambulance; and he had a job to do. And besides, there was someone with a gun nearby ~ maybe anyone who went near Meredith would also be in danger.

But there was an opening for compassion and encouragement.  There was a chance for someone to hold Meredith's hand and help him feel less alone.  I look at the picture and the agony it shows, and I wonder what kind of man just drives off when he sees that. 

But as horrified as I was by that picture, I was even more horrified to realize that I've done it, too.  Maybe not that dramatic, but I've ignored people in pain or unhappiness or fear, because I had something "important" to do, or because I was afraid, or because I assumed someone else would handle it. 

And they say that an opportunity missed is an opportunity lost.  Well, yes and no.  That opportunity may be gone forever, but there will be another one.  Gotta be ready.

~ "as we have opportunity, let us do good to all" ~

Galatians 6:10