It’s quite a remarkable story–the account of two American service members foiling a terrorist attack on the high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris. I cannot imagine the servicemen from any other nation responding so quickly and exhibiting such bravery as Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone did last Friday. The terrorist suspect, latter identified as a 26-year-old man of Moroccan origin, entered the train carrying an AK-47 and a handgun. Alek Skarlatos glanced over at Spencer Stone and said: “Let’s go!“, and with that, the two charged at the terrorist and successfully prevented a massacre. Since last Friday, these two men have received expressions of appreciation and praise from around the world, and this outpour of gratitude is certainly well deserved. Aside from their bravery, I am impressed with their sense of timing and quick response.
There is an interesting word in classical Greek for the “right moment”. It’s “kairos”. The ordinary word for time is “chronos” from which we get the English word “chronology”, but the “kairos” refers to the “appropriate time” or the “right moment” to do something. It’s not always easy to discern the right moment. If these two servicemen had responded a minute later, the outcome could have been quite different. But without hesitation, they perceived the “kairos” and seized the moment, thus averting a bloodbath that could have claimed many lives.
Much would be gained in our country if we could learn to apply the lesson of the event last Friday to the political realm. The recent accord between Iran and the United States to significantly limit Tehran’s nuclear ability in return for lifting international oil and financial sanctions is a concern to all of us, and I don’t think that any patriotic American wants to subject our nation unnecessarily to danger. So what is the lesson to be learned from the heroic action of our two servicemen on the train? Undoubtedly, some will maintain that the lesson is this: Aggressive force is the only sure means to protect our citizens. To be sure, this statement is not without merit. When the terrorist entered the train carrying an AK-47, it was the appropriate time for aggressive force, not for diplomacy. Nevertheless, I think that the real lesson to be learned from this event lies deeper. It’s not a matter of force or diplomacy in general. It’s a matter of perceiving the “kairos” in a particular situation. It is necessary in every critical situation to perceive the “kairos” anew, because what is appropriate in one situation is not necessarily appropriate in another.
The current political discussion about a possible deal with Iran requires a keen perception of the “kairos”. What does “seizing the moment” mean in this situation? As I have said in an earlier article, I am inclined to think that it is the “right moment” to respond with diplomacy. Of course, opinions on this will differ; that’s the nature of a democracy. But with regard to our two servicemen on the train, I think that we can all agree. It was indeed a heroic act and eminently appropriate.
Jack Brush is a resident of The Villages.
