How may we become a nation of quick thinkers? How might minders of our education architecture incorporate the art of quick thinking into our curriculum so that its exercise become widespread and abundant in the nation? Quick thinking is an art. Quick thinking is a learned skill. How might we become a people who no longer allow things to fester but react more quickly as the situation demands? How might we more easily draw out accurate patterns and pathways for those who though know what to do but are habitually hesitant? The last sentence rests squarely on the words of Proverbs which says, ‘Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water but a man of understanding will draw it out.’ Put another way, a man of quick thinking can help a man not sure of what steps he ought to take. A man of quick thinking may help a man overcome inertia and get himself going. A man of quick thinking may help a man more clearly clarify his options.

Quick thinking can be a lifesaver in the heat of the moment. When egos clash, quick thinking can save the day. Quick thinking can make the difference between life and death.

Many, many years ago a certain young man was called in to entertain his boss, the king. Unknown to him the king nursed deep hatred for him and wished him dead. Suddenly the king reached for a javelin nearby and threw it at the young man intending to pin his head to the wall with it but he ducked his head just in the nick of time and was saved by the whiskers! Quick thinking saved him.

On the night of the now famous 20-10-20, Pastor Poju Oyemade of The Covenant Nation and Pastor Godman Akinlabi of Elevation Church, and others using social media, asked protesters who were stranded to make their way to their churches and find temporary shelters. They had given instruction to persons in charge of the facilities to keep them open and attend to any protester who walked in needing temporary shelter.

The value of the gesture is the time in which it was offered! There was mounting tension. Many people tracking the various reports on social media were becoming apprehensive. It was becoming obvious something was going to give. It was in that tensed situation that the gesture came. We may never know how many people accepted the offer and walked into those ‘temporary shelters,’ diffusing the tension on their side of the big balloon but we should not ignore the import of the gesture. One that is comparable to the air traffic controller’s function.

Might we now compile a list of quick thinkers in specific disciplines so that we may more effectively appropriate their value and diffuse much of the tension across the nation today?