Article October 17, 2011 Issue

Eyes opened by a stranger

By Christopher L. Evans

Getting fuel for my car from the pump at the local gas station was usually a mundane routine for me, but this time when I swung the metal nozzle toward my car, the gasoline remaining from the previous customer, splashed into my eyes. As I stood beside the car, with my eyes shut in pain, a man with a thick foreign accent calmly said, “Let me help you.” He began flushing my eyes with clean water to wash away the gasoline.  

Having attended a Christian Science Sunday School all though my childhood, I’d been taught to trust God’s care in every situation. So I began to pray, affirming divine Love’s healing power and that I was all right. After I opened my eyes again, I found that my rescuer was the gas station attendant I’d often seen in times past. From his appearance and accent, I assumed he was from a Middle Eastern country. It was only after I assured him that I was OK and could see normally that he returned to his work. 

This incident occurred not long after the “Arab oil embargo” of 1973–74. I was a college student living in Los Angeles and, like millions of other Americans, I had been waiting in very long lines each time I went to fill up my car. The news media were full of stories about the political tensions in the Middle East, and contempt toward these countries was often expressed. 

About the author

Christopher Evans is an artist who lives in Northern California. He has had a 30-year career as a motion picture visual effects matte artist and archeological illustrator. 

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Eyes opened by a stranger

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