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Monday, January 19, 2009

the things that bring hope

     So I just spent a very long time going through all of my posts and labeling them. You could say I set this house in order and phew! it was on ordeal. If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you should be able to see the fruits of my labor.  

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   I don't necessarily love to drive. If there are two kinds of people in life--you know, drivers and passengers--then I will sign my name happily right next to the passengers section. However, I am now sharing a car with a Texan and a Californian. Neither are used to or comfortable driving in the snow and since it has been snowing more days than not since we got to Detroit, this native Pennsylvanian is behind the wheel at all times.  I really don't mind all that much, though, considering that having access to a car on tour and yes, that means driving it as well, is a nice change of pace.   

  What I do mind is the state of the roads during a snow storm here. At times I was just driving on thick layers of snow and slipping all over the place. I felt like I would have done better navigating with a sled. We asked a dresser at the theater why the roads aren't better here and she told us that Detroit is broke; there's no money to plough the roads.

  Stupid economy. 
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   Here is a facebook status I recently read that truly upset me: "John Doe is so sick of hearing about that pilot and the river. Move on already, jeeeez.
  
   Wow. I am sorry, but are miracles really so very boring? I mean, part of our job as humans is to relate to each other the very good, pure, and perfect things that can seem to so rarely happen on this earth; to marvel at them, remember them, and store them in our hearts. That is how the necessary element of hope is not only born, but grows. 

   It flourishes. 

   So yes, we will continue to be in awe of this miracle. We will see God's hand in it and rejoice with the people who not only said good-bye to their loved ones, but were also given the gift of saying hello to them once again, AFTER THEIR PILOT CRASH LANDED THEM IN THE HUDSON RIVER. Because those people could just have easily have been us. That is the great and beautiful crux of the human existence; our ability to see ourselves in each other's stories of heroism, miracles, pain, tragedy, and love is what keeps us close when all else threatens to tear us apart. And it is this compassion, this empathy, that stays the hand that would strike its neighbor, teaching it a better way, a healing touch. 

   So no, we are never going to get over this miracle. For it is miracles like these that give us hope as we sustain the next sad event; they are the bits of light we look for, yearn for, need. They are further proof of God among us. He landed that plane, kept all those people safe; surely he can keep us safe, he can keep me safe.  

  The psalmist said it well when he wrote, 

             I would have lost hope unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living.

   Miracles like this are glimpses of just that--the goodness of God in the land of the living. And we will never grow tired of hearing about them, big or small.
     

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's what you get for being friends with someone named John Doe!

Anonymous said...

Well said! That pilot deserves to be praised every day from now on. It will never get boring for those who want the Kingdom to come on earth where there is goodness and peace and social justice. thanks for saying what you said.

jason j said...

Right on! That was such an awesome story.. I don't know how anyone could already be tired of it.. How rock hard does your heart have to be to not be touched at least a little by it

Anonymous said...

I agree. The crash story is truly heart-warming. The most amazing thing about it is it's real--not a movie. How often do perfect endings like that happen in real time-space? Good for the soul to keep rehearsing wonders like this one.

Jessica said...

I know--it is seriously a modern day miracle! I almost commented something on this guy's facebook about it, but I decided not to. I honestly don't know him (which is the danger of allowing people to friend you who are simply fans of ACL) and didn't want to get into it.

BUt maybe I should have.

Anonymous said...

You can be sure the people on that plane will never get sick of hearing about that pilot!

Be careful on the roads, Sweetie!