I am fascinated daily by the amount of terrible driving in Charleston. I’ve never seen such terrible driving! Nearly every day, we pass an accident of some sort. If we don’t, we pass someone who nearly gets into an accident. I don’t know if it’s a lack of paying attention, bad roads, or a combination. Unsurprisingly then, Wednesday we encountered a nearly fatal accident.

As we were returning from our impromptu vet visit, we got into stand-still traffic. As we crawled toward another light, we came to a train crossing. Obviously there were signs saying don’t stop on the track, but more and more people kept creeping up to it, sitting on the tracks, etc. Robert and I stopped shy of the white line, and I commented to my husband that it was surprising we didn’t hear about more people getting hit by trains since everyone drives so crazily here. And that’s when it happened. The red lights started flashing. The arms started coming down. And two cars were between the safety line and the tracks.

The car closest to us had the bar fall onto the roof of their car. Unfortunately, there was still an SUV between that car and the tracks. Really, really close to the track.

As the train whizzed by, Robert and I held our breath. Thankfully, the train narrowly missed the vehicle. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the carelessness. The people in the second vehicle (with the bar on top of their car) GOT OUT with the moving train 10ft or less away and started taking pictures. At one point, a probably 5-year-old got out and was walking around. It was ridiculous! I was so appalled that anyone would put themselves in such danger, and especially put their children in such danger. And then laugh about it! It was so careless! I am so thankful they weren’t injured, but it was definitely too close for comfort.

As uncomfortable as that situation made (and continues to make) me, I realize the far more serious problem within our world – people ride the line of sin every day. There are safety lines put out (through God’s Word), and yet people plow past them in hopes of inching closer and closer to sin without technically crossing the line. But by doing so, they’re flirting with death. They’re asking for danger. They are putting their souls (and likely their children’s souls) in danger by their careless choices. And unlike the train incident where the people escaped unscathed, people who flirt with Satan will not come out on the other side of this life without consequences.

The New Testament uses the word “flee” 5 times in regards to sin. Not flirt with, flee. Flee sexual immorality. Flee idolatry. Flee greediness. Flee Satan and draw near to God.

Why then do we creep toward the line? Why do we ignore the warnings and do whatever we want that doesn’t technically cross the line? Do we not realize that if our hearts are such that we want to do everything but cross the line, our hearts aren’t pure? And if our hearts aren’t pure, we won’t see God (Matt. 5:8).

May we all do our best to stay as far away from the line as possible. May we flee Satan and his schemes. May we flee all unrighteousness and evil influences. May we run as far as we can from temptation and run only toward Jesus, our focus and our life (Heb. 12:1-2, Col. 3:4).