A teenager, having missed the last bus, was walking home one evening. The journey was a few miles and he knew his parents wouldn’t be best pleased if he called them up and asked them to come out and pick him up. So he walked.
The journey wasn’t too bad, although part of it was on fast roads and part on narrow lanes.
Along the way, a car approached him, travelling in the same direction. The driver, one of his teachers from school, slowed down, but as soon as the teacher recognised the teenager, she overtook safely and continued, knowing that her job did not permit her to give lifts to pupils.
A short while later, another car approached, again travelling in the same direction. This time the driver was the vicar from the local church. As he neared the teenager, he too slowed down. He took a look at the teenager and, realising he was a member of the church, overtook safely and continued on his journey. He knew that the procedures and policies in place did not allow him to take the teenager home, unless there was another adult in the car with him.
However, because the vicar tries to be a good Christian, when he reached his destination, he telephoned the teenager’s parents to inform them of the situation.
Soon after, another car approached, this time travelling in the opposite direction. The driver noticed the teenager walking with his head down, and pulled over. He looked at the teenager and asked if he wanted a lift. The teenager, not knowing the driver of the car, said he was going in the other direction and that it wasn’t much further. The driver gently insisted. He said it was a dangerous road and it was no bother to him.
When they turned up to the teenager’s house, the stranger led him to his front door and explained the situation to his parents. They thanked the man and he left. Then the teenager received a telling off, not only for missing the bus, but also for not telling them that he had missed the bus (they found out because the church’s vicar had called them) and for accepting a lift home from a stranger.
Now, which of those three – the teacher, the vicar or the stranger – acted like a neighbour to that teenager?
But also, with which of those three would the teenager’s parents have been happier to provide the lift home?
The journey wasn’t too bad, although part of it was on fast roads and part on narrow lanes.
Along the way, a car approached him, travelling in the same direction. The driver, one of his teachers from school, slowed down, but as soon as the teacher recognised the teenager, she overtook safely and continued, knowing that her job did not permit her to give lifts to pupils.
A short while later, another car approached, again travelling in the same direction. This time the driver was the vicar from the local church. As he neared the teenager, he too slowed down. He took a look at the teenager and, realising he was a member of the church, overtook safely and continued on his journey. He knew that the procedures and policies in place did not allow him to take the teenager home, unless there was another adult in the car with him.
However, because the vicar tries to be a good Christian, when he reached his destination, he telephoned the teenager’s parents to inform them of the situation.
Soon after, another car approached, this time travelling in the opposite direction. The driver noticed the teenager walking with his head down, and pulled over. He looked at the teenager and asked if he wanted a lift. The teenager, not knowing the driver of the car, said he was going in the other direction and that it wasn’t much further. The driver gently insisted. He said it was a dangerous road and it was no bother to him.
When they turned up to the teenager’s house, the stranger led him to his front door and explained the situation to his parents. They thanked the man and he left. Then the teenager received a telling off, not only for missing the bus, but also for not telling them that he had missed the bus (they found out because the church’s vicar had called them) and for accepting a lift home from a stranger.
Now, which of those three – the teacher, the vicar or the stranger – acted like a neighbour to that teenager?
But also, with which of those three would the teenager’s parents have been happier to provide the lift home?
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