“Do the right thing, and then do the next right thing, and that will lead you to the next right thing after that.” --Michael J. Fox
When I grow up I want to be like 11 year old Davyon Johnson, a typical 6th grader from Muskogee, Oklahoma. According to a recent New York Times article he likes wrestling, basketball, remote controlled cars and Fortnite. But Johnson is anything but typical because on December 6th of last year, he saved the lives of two people. That’s right, two souls saved and within mere hours of one another!
First, he saved the life of a classmate when he came upon him in the school hallway and noticed his friend was choking. Davyon went into action, using the heimlich maneuver he’d learned on YouTube. After one, two, then three squeezes, a bottle cap flew out of the boy's mouth. That object had become lodged in his throat when he drank from a water bottle. But Johnson was just getting warmed up.
Davyon’s Mom picked him up after school and they both went home to relax for a bit and the two then left for evening church services. On the way to church, Davyon spied smoke coming out of the back of a home and insisted his Mom pull the car over. While she called 911, Davyon knocked on the front door to alert the homeowners and five folks fled for safety. But one older woman was using a walker and struggling, so Davyon helped her get out safely, away from the burning home.
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Yup. All in a day’s work! At least for Davyon.
His community, of course, was amazed by his selfless and caring acts and so they feted him. As reported in the Times, “The Muskogee Police Department and Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office presented Davyon with a certificate on Dec. 15, naming him an honorary member of their forces.” There was also a pizza party and his photo appeared in the newspaper and a story ran on the local TV station. Funny thing is Davyon thought it was all a bit overblown, the accolades and the “attaboys” that came at him from every side.
As he told his Mom, “I don’t want everyone to pay attention to me. I kind of did what I was supposed to do.’” Yes you did Davyon. You did the right thing and not once but twice and both times saving the life of a neighbor, in one case a person that you’d never met. And this all happened in a year when Davyon also lost his beloved 52 year old Dad to COVID. His father, Willie James Logan, had also once saved someone from a burning building.
I’m not sure what impresses me more: Davyon’s heroism or his humility.
So, here’s a spiritual piece of advice to all of us, as we begin a new year, that if the past year or so is anything like a guide, might just be filled with even more strange and challenging times. Like COVID, like toxic politics, like wondering where we might find glimpses of human sanity and yes, human goodness in this strange world.
After all, it was just a year ago that a violent mob stormed the Capitol and tried to overturn a legitimate election for the only time in our history. Sheesh. Violent crime is up in many places and everything costs more and just when we think we might be able to jump off this crazy train, something else happens. Right now it is all too easy to grow weary or worse, cynical, about the state of our world and the human condition.
But then you hear about someone like Davyon, a child (!) who just does the right thing, who steps up with courage and service to help others and reminds us that most folks in his world are, in fact, good. Good of soul and good of character. That most people want the best for their loved ones and neighbors and strangers too. That most of us, when challenged with the specter of someone in need or hurting or in need of a little kindness: we will do the right thing.
You might read those sentiments and dismiss them as clueless idealism. Maybe you want to stubbornly hang on to a dim view of humanity, see all the bad in our world right. I guess you could be forgiven for such an attitude. We are all spiritually weary right now, battered by too many months of bad news.
And yet, given the choice? I will continue to seek the good and to see the good. To celebrate the best of human behavior and look for the saints like Davyon, everyday people doing extraordinary things, doing the right thing, and all to make this world a better place. My God and my beliefs tell me it is always better to light one candle rather than curse the darkness. There is still so much good to do and good to find in others if only we look with hearts of faith.
Give us your best, 2022. With folks like Davyon to lead the way, it just might be a very, very good year, to do the right thing.
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