STOP!

I had one of my most frustrating journeys back home from the U.S. last weekend with many delays. The AirTrain was broken so we were directed to buses with huge crowds of very agitated people pushing and shoving, and then a 2 hour delay as we waited for the plane to be ready.

Finally I was on the plane sitting on the tarmac.

After we’d been waiting on the runway for an hour the captain made an announcement.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, this is an unusual announcement that I’ve never made before, but we are waiting for the ground staff to remove turtles that are crossing the runway!”

Many of us looked at each other and mouthed “turtles…..crossing the runway”?

I have thought about this in recent days.

STOP THE WAR!

STOP THE GUNS!

STOP THE KILLING!

STOP THE TRAFFIK (prevent and disrupt human trafficking)

How is it possible for STOP to become a reality?

Is it political leaders being courageous and changing their course of action?

Is it when the people refuse to stay silent?

Is it when corrupt money talks louder than words?

Is it when the cries of suffering and despair cannot be ignored?

…or is it turtles?

Sometimes, although we focus on the big moves and solutions, even these can be the result of many thousands of small, slow moving, persistent actions of what can initially appear insignificant. 

Like the turtles that actually had the power to stop a Boeing 777 in its tracks.

In our world there are those relentlessly praying for peace, those showing selfless courage in caring and carrying those in need on the streets of despair, those giving money to feed the hungry and heal the broken, and others demonstrating bravery by risking their lives to write the stories that need to be read. All embody the refusal to turn away and instead to find a way to use our voice, our resource and our imagination.

This week maybe remember the importance of the power of the turtle.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17 v 20