On December 22, 1996, Carnell Taylor was working on a paving crew repairing the Interstate 64 bridge over the Elizabeth River in Virginia. The road was icy, and a sliding pickup truck accidentally struck Taylor and knocked him off the bridge. He fell 70 feet and hit the river water below, suffering broken facial bones and a broken pelvis as a result of both the collision and the fall. The numbingly cold water and strong river currents added to his peril. It was obvious to Joseph J. Brisson, the captain of a barge passing by at that moment, that Taylor would drown before a boat could be launched in order to reach him. In spite of the danger to himself, and in spite of a planned Christmas reunion with his immediate family only three days away, Brisson decided to risk his life for a man he had never met. He dived into the river, swam to Taylor, and grabbed hold of him. “Don’t worry, buddy,” he said, “I got you!” Brisson held Taylor’s face above the water and encouraged him to keep talking. He subsequently took hold of a piece of wood in the water and slid it underneath Taylor to help keep him afloat. After nearly 30 minutes in the water, a rescue boat was able to pull the men to safety. Taylor was hospitalized for broken bones, while Brisson was treated for mild hypothermia. Brisson later told the Associated Press that he knew what he had to do when he saw Taylor fall. “I thought about my family, but I also thought about how life is very important. I’m a Christian, and I couldn’t let anything happen to him.”
Few of us may ever be called to “go” into such a perilous ministry situation. However, disciples of Jesus Christ understand that life is important and precious to God, and that, as followers of Christ, every ministry opportunity to which He calls us can literally have eternal ramifications. A disciple is always ready to risk “taking the plunge” for the ministry and mission of Jesus, knowing that Jesus came “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19.10 NIV). After all, Jesus was willing to leave the safety and joy of heaven in order to rescue us; as His followers, what can be more natural that to respond by serving as a part of His search-and-rescue team known as the Church.
Comments