Accidents Part 5

October 24, 2026

Photo : The Telegraph 

The old saying “Don’t cry over spilled milk” may console us when a mishap is small. But some spills cannot be wiped up with a towel. They overwhelm lives, and their consequences reach far beyond the people who caused them.

On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed eleven workers and began the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Oil flowed into the Gulf for 87 days before they capped the well. 

During the spill, we visited the Gulf beaches. Cleanup crews worked around the clock, dressed in white suits and driving vehicles that looked to us like lunar rovers. They gathered sheets and globules of oil from the sand. The white beaches were stained. The marsh grasses were coated. Where we expected to see seabirds and fish, we saw an absence that was almost as disturbing as the oil itself.

“Don’t cry over spilled milk” had no meaning there. Eleven people had died. Families, livelihoods, and living ecosystems had been harmed. The well was finally sealed in September, but restoration work would continue for years. 

BP faced criminal penalties and a historic civil settlement that provided funds for environmental and economic restoration. Money could not bring back those who died or simply return the Gulf to what it had been. Still, the response to such a disaster must include an honest accounting of what happened, care for those who suffered, and a commitment to prevent it from happening again. Millions of people affected by the accident felt the direct response of BP and its genuine efforts to correct its mistakes, as best it could. 

That kind of responsibility begins with people. Someone at the top must be willing to say, “I was wrong,” or “I failed to act.” Someone must be willing to listen to those who were hurt. Leaders set an example by how they respond to their mistakes, whether they lead a company, a country, or a family.

Yet this begins within each of us. At Point One of the Enneagram of Soul, we encounter Sacred Righteousness—Sacred Alignment with the Higher Power. It calls us to bring our choices into harmony with the Divine, as best we can discern God’s guidance. When we have caused harm, that alignment asks us to tell the truth and do what we can to make things right.

We cannot put spilled milk back into the glass. But we can decide what we will do next. Will we turn away, point fingers, or own responsibility and attend to what has been broken? It depends on how aligned we are to our Higher Power and how committed we are to living from its love. 

Spiritual Practice

Write down the ways you discern Divine Order and how you bring them into your daily decisions. Give contemplation to the possibility that this very list may reflect the foundation of your spiritual formation.

Inquiry

How do you typically respond when something goes wrong, especially when you have played a part in it? How does that response align with your Higher Power?

Prayer

Dear God,

My unchecked ego does not want to say, “It was my fault.” But my soul knows the truth. Help me listen to my soul and speak from my true nature, which is tethered to You.

Amen