One-Stoplight-Towns

I’m celebrating the one-year anniversary of my arrival in Manchester this week. Coming from a major metropolitan area to a small town of 5,000 takes a little getting used to. I am adjusting. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just different.

You might be misled by the title. I have been to several one-horse towns. Iowa has its share. Manchester is not one of them. Main Street has 5 stoplights and there are several more throughout the city. The speed limit is 25 traveling through town and there’s a distinct possibility that you might be driving behind a minivan, a Ford F-150, or even a high-clearance agricultural sprayer. 

Not to be attempted in Manchester - or anywhere else!

But for today’s observation, when it comes to stoplights, all it takes is one. 

A few days ago, I was on Main Street following one of those pickup trucks. As we approached the light, the time counter was well on its way to zero. I have noticed that when it hits that out-of-time mark, the light turns yellow for just a second before red beckons a full stop. 

The truck in front of me stepped on the gas. 

I immediately thought I was back in Cincinnati. Maybe, because my former Ohio city has narrow streets and not very many turn lanes, people always (A L W A Y S) run stoplights. In the city of WKRP-fame, one never starts across the intersection when the light turns green because there are always a few red-light-runners who have yet to make it to the other side. 

Reflections from this incident began to invade my consciousness. I wondered why we do some of the things we do. Clearly, the streetlight was finished with the warning phase. We were looking at red. And yet, so many of us are willing to take the chance of a traffic accident to save upwards of 30 seconds sitting at the intersection. 

I am willing to bet a great deal that we take these chances in areas of our lives separate from the panicked acceleration of a pickup truck. That would be a sucker bet. We are reminded of our tendencies like this when we read Romans 7: 15-20. (NIV version.  MSG version.)

This week is also the beginning of Advent. 

As I prepare for the coming of Jesus, I’m thinking that my focus this year will be on the stoplights. It matters not whether I live in a one-stop-light town or a city of millions. It will center on the idea that I should slow down when I see the yellow warning. I should think about the things above and consider the cautioning of my heart as it advises me to avoid doing the wrong thing. I should pay attention to the example of Jesus and stop if the light is clearly red.

And now, three-plus inches of snow are telling me to do the right thing and clear the sidewalk for the church-going pedestrians.