When United Airlines Captain Ed Palacio took off from Chicago in an Airbus A-320, he expected it to be another routine flight. Ed had been flying planes for a long time, and he once described the Airbus to me as an airplane that is so computerized that it can practically fly by itself. That flight,however, was to become one that Ed will never forget.
When the plane climbed to 6,000 feet (1, 800 meters), one of the massive Pratt and Whitney jet engines exploded. An engine had sucked in some loose pieces of metal. That meant big trouble because the Airbus is a two-engine aircraft.
Flying a simulator on the ground is one thing, and having the lives of nearly eighty people in your hands when an engine blows up is quite another matter. Ed ’s training and experience immediately kicked into high gear as he brought the plane back to Chicago and landed it as though he had perfectly followed a script. "Ed, what did you think about when that engine blew up?"I asked. "I didn ’t have time to think," he said. "I just reacted instinctively." Was it emotional for him? Perhaps, but surprisingly, it was not. "Emotion will mislead you," he said.
Ed has something going for him that gives him an additional edge, a confidence that spells a difference in a difficult situation. Ed is a committed Christian. Having grown up in Latin America, he knows Spanish as well as I know English. In his spare time, he translates our Guidelines commentaries and then produces Pautas Para Vivir, which is heard in North and South America. Active in his church, Ed lives what he believes. "As Christians we need to operate that way. You don ’t find your faith in a crisis; you already have it," he said.
My conversation with Ed made me aware again of the contrast between his relationship with God and the way many other people relate to God. They ignore God most of the time, thinking that at the last minute they will get things right with Him.
Some call this "deathbed conversion ", similar to what happened to the thief on the cross who cried out at the last minute. "Until the crisis, I ’ll continue having fun," they reason..
The mistake is thinking they have plenty of time later. Matthew Henry used to say, "Deathbed conversions are seldom true, and true conversions are seldom made on the deathbed."
The Bible stresses the importance of now, of living for God today, of being on good terms with Him, so when the emergency comes, you act instinctively,knowing He is with you.
Knowing God made the difference for Ed when he was under pressure. No wonder the Airbus passengers applauded him a he safely landed the plane.
Resource Reading: 2 Corinthians 6