It happens every time. Every single solitary time I hear the siren of an ambulance behind me or in front of me, spirituality pervades my immediate self for whatever amount of time it is needed for me to realize that I am blessed to be alive.

This spirituality is absent of any religion, or rituals. This spirituality is a reminder that for a few seconds, I’m not the one injured,  about to die, or dying once arriving to the hospital.

This spirituality is about me. For a moment in time, regardless of how I was raised, with or without God, Jesus, Gandhi, other followings, or none of these, I am reminded of my own humanity and how easily it could be me in that emergency vehicle. The humanity I posses in those few seconds, was not taken from me. My family does not have to rush out of work to find me lying in a hospital bed. My family does not have to wonder what happened. My family gets to know that I moved over to the right to let the ambulance pass me by; blessed that I was not in it.

But this spirituality does not just affect me and MY humanity, it affects the other drivers on the road as well. As drivers move to the side to allow for a life to be saved, or ushered into something more beautiful, Moses parting the Red Sea comes to mind. In Exodus chapter 14 we see Moses talking with the children of Israel telling them to not be afraid because God will provide a way for them to exit. “²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. ” I instantly see ahead of me, or even behind me (depending on where the sirens are coming from) the “waters being divided/parted. This is an amazing phenomenon. It is amazing for several reasons.

For a split second, no one is yelling at each other, cussing each other out, or hating on one another. No one is spewing hatred, racism, colorism, sexism, homophobia, or anything else.

For a brief period of time, no one is proselytizing, forcing anyone to be a part of their religion. No one has a bullhorn. There is no judgement among the cars, the people, or humanity.

For a quick second, everyone understands each other and the need to keep or relinquish a life unto something more powerful. Everyone participates in this parting of the Red Sea and everyone comprehends that working together may save them and also the one in the vehicle.

There is something intensely spiritual about emergency units being let through as a human is in “limbo”. All souls connect in that specific moment.

For me, I feel something in my being, in my essence. When I watch the cooperation that happens on a busy road, when I see the level of patience that people assume and make a part of their existence for that short period of time; you can’t help but wonder if all of our souls are syncing.

It may seem trivial, small, insignificant. But next time you hear a siren and you watch the road part to allow an ambulance through, think about grace. Think about how the movement of traffic is as graceful and forgiving as Moses parting the red sea. Take time to think about how a few seconds ago you may have been preoccupied, angry, worried, afraid, sad, lonely.

When the siren approaches, you prepare for a miracle. You hope that everyone works together to allow this ambulance through. Not only is it required by law, but it is also common sense. This ambulance is salvation…not in a religious sense, but in a very human, tactile, literal, and realistic way.

This participation we all become apart of, allows for all of us to be active saviors not just for the one inside, but also for us on the outside. Without our participation, we fail to allow grace to become what it is supposed to be; a second chance.