We raptly sat in front of the TV Sunday night watching the 60 Minutes story on the miracle on the Hudson River, Flight 1549. Captain Sullenberger recounted, almost second by second, the drama of losing the engines on his jet and the quick decisions that led to the hard, but safe, landing in the water with 150 passengers on board and 5 crew members.
This was impossible, I was thinking. No doubt the decisions by Sully and the crew made the outcome of this story a reality. There was the precise confidence of the captain, the competent reactions by the second in command, the follow-through of the crew with the passengers that braced them for impact. And it happened in a little over 3 minutes.
“Did you pray?” asked Katie Couric. Sully replied that he was certain there was plenty of praying for him and their predicament back in the cabin. He was focused, with a bit of a pit in his stomach (to paraphrase), but never lost his confidence that he could land this big bird after the smaller birds rendered the engines out of order.
Looking at the footage, you saw the passengers exiting the plane onto the wings and waiting for their rescue. It seemed calm and peaceful to some, unsettling to others. But there they were, most all on those stretched-out wings on a craft that would soon go under.
The ferries arrived in the nick of time and all were brought safely aboard under the watchful eye of Captain Sully and the crew. A job well done and a job deserving of the accolades they are receiving. The American people, yes and probably many internationally, were touched in their hearts. We were. I was.
Back to 60 minutes. Many passengers and their family members gathered to congratulate and thank the crew. You saw women hugging Sully, men hugging Sully, and children hugging Sully all with a message, with a tear, with a smile and a sigh of relief. Some exclaimed, “Thank you for saving my life.” Others, “Thank you for saving my husband’s life.” A child, “Thank you for saving my daddy’s life.”
This is when it hit me. This whole scene, the pictures of Flight 1549 with all those people on the wings, this prefigures Christ. It is a scene we might picture as we are received into our heavenly home one day. It made me want to say to my Lord Jesus, “Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for saving my wife. Thank you for saving my children.” The plane made me think of Jesus on the cross, with outstretched arms, saving us from an eternity of separation from God. The outstretched wings of the plane, the outstretched arms of my Savior.
I am thankful for Sully, the crew, the passengers who are telling their stories. We need this, if not for the purpose of rejoicing with others who want to celebrate something positive, but of pointing us to the One who has truly come to save us. Please don’t let another day go by without expressing your thanks to the One who has saved you and your loved ones. And if you need to, ask Jesus to save you today. He died for you, for you to have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life.” John 3:16
