It was an evening in late summer of 1999. It was still warm, the sky was clear. I was walking to the local shops. My journey took me down the main road and then through a subway roundabout. My mind was happily occupied with thoughts of my day tomorrow. I was in a reverie, not paying much attention to what was happening around me.
As I neared the central area of the subway I felt a sudden and sharp blow to my right cheek bone. I didn't know what it was, or where it came from. I was being attacked by four youths all of whom must have followed me down into the subway.
Before I knew what was happening I was beset upon by four youths who must have followed me down in to the subway. They surrounded me and each grabbed various parts of my anatomy or clothing. I was wearing a blue padded anorak. One of them on my right was firmly tugging down on the anorak. Another held my right arm. I was pinned to the spot. I could not move. One of them started rummaging through my pockets.
I considered my options. I could possibly swing a leg to kick someone. They were all shorter than me and I thought about fighting them off like I had often seen my heroes doing in the movies.
But then I thought about the things that I had been reading in a small pocket New Testament that had recently been given to me by the Gideons and that I was carrying around with me in my coat pocket. I had been memorizing various scriptures from it and bits of these were floating around in my thoughts:
"But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." - (Matthew 5:39)
Rifling through my pockets the boys pulled out my wallet, some car keys and the red pocket New Testament.
I only had £5.00 in my wallet, and an assortment of cards. They asked me whether I had any more money on me. One of the them to my left had his arm outstretched and kept saying ‘I’m going to stab him, I’m going to stab him’. I felt that if I didn't comply with their instructions then he may actually do what he is threatening to do. I said I didn't have any more money on me.
I decided not to resist and not to move, but to trust in the wisdom of the scriptures.
I was thinking to myself that these young lads didn't look much different to the lads to whom I used to teach piano at the local college a few years earlier. And this is the thanks I get.
They ordered me to take them to the car.
It was not actually my car, but a hire car that I had taken home for the evening because I needed it for work the following morning.
Still smarting from the blow to my right cheek I pleaded, 'come on guys, it's a hire car, and I need it for work tomorrow'.
But they persisted in their request. So I said, 'ok, follow me'.
They let go of me and I started to walk back in the direction from which I had come. They started to follow but then, after conferring amongst themselves briefly, they asked me where the car was. I tried to explain where it was, parked up the road about half a mile away.
They seemed to lose interest. They returned my wallet to me, the Bible and the car keys and then dashed off. They kept the cash.
I was left feeling a bit shaken and with a sore right cheek bone.
Ever since then I have tended to pay a little more attention when going through subways, and have continued to carry the pocket New Testament around with me.
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