Introduction
On 25th March CNN announced, “"We're not searching for a needle in
a haystack," Mark Binskin, vice chief of the Australian Defence Force,
told reporters.”We're still trying to define where the haystack is."” The
same day the Malay premier declared that MH370 crashed into the South Indian
Ocean and all 239 people onboard were presumed to be dead. 1
While one statement is distant to
any conclusion whatsoever, the other statement pronounces a concrete closure to
MH370 saga. Although it is difficult to understand this situation, the pain of
the loved ones could be remotely felt. Their pain is unbearable. It is
horrendous to be in such a situation.
However, this sad situation
teaches us a few life lessons.
Fallibility of Man
Although it
is possible that MH370 has crashed and all onboard dead, conflicting media reports
keeps us guessing the truth claim of that possibility. Then there are those who
come up with conspiracy theories, so to keep skepticism and uncertainty alive
and well.
When conflicting reports inundate
us, truth and trust suffers. Who is speaking the truth? Who do we trust? Should
our existence be immersed in skepticism?
Conflicting media reports cannot
be trusted on its face value. All men cannot be trusted always; only some can
be trusted more often than not. Those who can be trusted are those who have
earned our trust over a period of time through the relationship we have shared
in close proximity with each other.
In this case, the families of
those onboard may find it difficult to trust those providing them with reports
about missing aircraft. It’s quite plausible that the authorities are withholding
information. Man has not given them any hope whatsoever.
Frailty of Science
Science has
offered us a privilege of always boarding an airplane with optimism. I have
never smelt death while boarding an airplane. Significantly, there was not even
one aircraft accident of the magnitude of MH370 in 2013. 2 This is
science’s achievement. This is due to God’s gracious and active presence in
this world.
In 2000,
when President Clinton visited India, certain sections of media glorified the
security offered to him. Apparently, the US satellites deployed to watch over
the President had the ability to incessantly monitor the movement of the second
hand of a wrist watch. Such was their power and precision to monitor the
movement of even the smallest object in the vicinity of the President.
If
technology possessed such power and precision then, today’s technology should have
been enhanced thousand fold. But why is science unable to trace the path of the
aircraft, even after the plane’s transponders were switched off?
Why is science unable to provide common
man with answers for an event that occurred on earth (we are not even talking
about outer space)? Probably the common man would never know.
If what’s
been said is true - that the aircraft with 239 people onboard is truly unable
to be traced, all I can conclude is that science is only in the process of
conquering the greater challenges of life. While science is definite about
certain subjects, it’s weak on other subjects.
But the fact remains; science
cannot be relied and trusted in all circumstances. Science seems to have failed
us in this situation.
Beauty of Love
None of the
239 onboard MH370 may have been friends with us. However, we grieve as if we
had always known them. This is the beauty of love.
Man, made
in the image of God, shares the love of God. Because he loves his unseen neighbor,
he grieves his neighbor’s loss as if it were his own.
But the
beauty of love includes the hatred of evil deeds. If and only if the MH370
disappeared due to terrorism, one cannot expect man to love the evil deed of
the terrorists. But terrorists are victims of their circumstances that are deep
in deception. They possess the wrong ideology; they believe falsehood as truth,
hence they practice evil.
We are called to love our
neighbors; the terrorists are our neighbors too (Mark 12: 31a). By the grace of
God we can love the terrorists so to pray for their deliverance, and even their
families, who may even be an unwilling part. But we cannot love their evil
deeds. This is the beauty of love.
Tragedy In False Accusations
Why did the pilot’s son defend
his father’s innocence? 3
Some media reports blame the
pilots for the disappearance of MH370. Unfortunately, the pilots’ families will
have to bear the brunt of this attack. Although concrete evidences convicting
the pilots are yet to be provided, some people may be totally impolite and
insane to taunt the family members as if the pilots were the culprits.
False accusation is an incredible
trial and a tragedy. How should the falsely-accused deal with false accusation?
While we cannot discount God from the picture, God’s people will also provide
the family with the much needed encouragement and comfort. These are people who
continue to love, care, pray and provide for the family in times of their
stress and distress.
We should not pronounce judgment,
especially when the evidences against the accused are highly speculative in
nature.
Unpredictability of
Life
A poignant
description of life’s uncertainty is marvelously expressed in these words, “How do you know what will happen even
tomorrow? What, after all, is your life? It is like a puff of smoke visible for
a little while and then dissolving into thin air” (James 4: 14, PHILLIPS).
Our life is
so unpredictable that we need to quickly, constantly and consistently maximize
its potential. Are we focusing on accumulating wealth by discarding God to a
particular day in a week or an hour in a day? This is gross injustice inflicted
upon ourselves.
Our existence is intelligibly
sustained by God. Thus it is irrational to relegate our existence to mere
chance or fate, which has its feet firmly planted in midair.
Viewing our lives through the
eyes of God – the maker of heaven and earth would help us understand life’s
situations better. Trying to make sense
of MH370’s disappearance in light of God is a fruitful and not a futile
endeavor.
But a more basic question is, “do
we know the one true God?” If not, we ought to strive to know the one true and
living God. To know, love and obey God is our life’s constant endeavor, so to
gain peace and eternal security. Thus one can maximize his life through its unpredictability.
Reliability of God
Of this I
am sure – that humans are imperfect. There is no perfect man or woman – no, not
even one. Man will fail us especially when we do not expect him to fail.
Think about the families of the 239
people onboard MH370. Think about the long duration they have to endure without
knowing if their dear one is dead or alive. At the end of the day, they need
answers to satisfy their questions. They remain dissatisfied for they have not received
answers from man.
They are very sad. Maybe their
friends can console them to partly heal them of their sadness. But it is also
certain that man cannot entirely heal sadness, for sadness is a matter of our heart
and soul. Man cannot heal the damage inflicted upon the heart and soul of his
fellow being.
But the families have deep
questions. Why did their loved one die an early, sudden and a gory death? Why
are they relegated to a state of uncertainty about the fate of their loved one?
Questions of this nature are numerous.
Man or science cannot answer such
deep questions of the soul. Only God can. Only God can touch the need of the
human heart with HIS nail pierced hands. Only God can satisfy the needs of the
human heart, provided man is humble and willing to hear from HIM.
Think about this. If I do not want
to hear what you are trying to communicate, then I will not hear your
statements. If I am only partially aware of your communication, I would only
integrate the partial truth. This is precisely how the relationship works between
God and man.
If man thinks that God is
inadequate to answer his questions or if man does not trust in God, then man
shuts God out of his life. Man has only himself to blame. Such a man does not
love God. He rejects God. So he will always be longing for answers. Such a man will
always remain dissatisfied.
Conclusion
Only God can answer man’s deep
questions and heal his sadness. God will answer and heal, if man allows HIM to
speak to his need. Man should also focus on receiving God’s truth, even when
that truth may be unpleasant to his ears. Man should rely on God always.
May God heal the pain and sorrow
of the families of those presumed to be dead and all the others who are suffering
in various other predicaments. This is my prayer in Christ’s name. Amen.
Endnotes:
1 http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/25/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_commercial_aircraft#2013
3 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/missing-malaysian-flight-mh370-my-father-would-never-have-crashed-on-purpose-pilots-son-insists-9219306.html
