© 2013 The Wired Word
www.thewiredword.com
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is a deepening mystery
that has dominated the news since the plane vanished from radar during a
routine flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing, China, on March 8. Even
with 26 nations now involved in the search, the whereabouts of the plane, which
was apparently diverted, remain unknown.While both the jet's transponder and its ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) appear to have been intentionally switched off while the plane was still aloft, it continued to send out "pings" that were picked up by a satellite for several hours after the aircraft disappeared from radar.
Although a catastrophic accident cannot be ruled out, the available evidence suggests there was some form of intentional human intervention in the flight. Thus, authorities are investigating the background of those on board, especially the crew in the cockpit.
Finding the plane quickly is important not just because of the possibility that anyone aboard is still alive, or even to solve the puzzle of its disappearance, but also because someone might have taken the jet to use it as a weapon. If that's the plan, locating the aircraft quickly could deny those intending to do harm the time to prepare it for such a mission.
Even assuming the plane was intentionally steered off course, the length of time the pings continued to be received by a satellite leaves open the possibility that it was over open water when the fuel ran out and that it eventually fell into the ocean. As of Tuesday, the revised search area includes a northern arc from the Kazakh-Turkmen border to northern Thailand, as well as a southern arc from Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean. The designated search zone in the Indian Ocean has been described as comparable in size to Texas. Australian officials, who are leading the hunt there, assisted by planes from the United States and New Zealand, say thoroughly covering that area may take weeks.
NPR described the whole effort as the "largest-ever multinational air-sea search."
The two "black boxes" aboard the plane are built to send out locating pings for 30 days. As of this Sunday, half of those days have passed. Once the pings stop, finding the wreckage, if the plane did indeed crash, will become even more difficult.
The airliner being used for Flight 370 was a Boeing 777-200ER. That plane is considered one of the safest aircraft based on its accident safety record and high number of flight hours.
Flight 370 carried 12 crew members and 227 passengers from 15 nations, with the majority being Chinese.
As we were preparing to publish this lesson, news media reported that two objects have been spotted floating in the southern Indian Ocean, leading to speculation that they could be part of wreckage from Flight 370. Ships are enroute to investigate further. Check news media sources for updates.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Get Up to Speed .... CNN
Search for Flight MH370 Reportedly Largest in History. NPR
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Wikipedia
The Big Questions
1. Why does grieving often seem even more painful when the grieved-for person's death cannot be verified?
2. In your experience, is it important to the grieving process to be able to view the remains of a loved one? Why or why not?
3. What does the Bible mean when it speaks of "the lost"? In what way, if any, does that term relate to people who are missing? Some Christians use the term "lost" to describe people who don't (to their knowledge) have a relationship with Christ. Is that a useful or accurate term? If so, in what way is it possible to be "lost" from God?
4. To what degree are you troubled by things that remain a mystery, such as the fate of Flight 370? How does dealing with mystery apply to matters of faith?
5. Does the nature of the victims' possible passing, that perhaps involved a terrifying plunge of a craft from high in the air to the ocean, change the way you look at this disaster? Some suggest the passengers may have gradually passed out for lack of oxygen, perhaps even without knowing what was happening. Does the manner of their passing matter to you as you picture this event? Does the not knowing add to the horror?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Genesis 5:23-24
Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him. (For context, read 5:18-24.)
This Enoch, not to be confused with a man of the same name who was Cain's son (Genesis 4:17), was one of Noah's ancestors. Genesis tells us the length of his lifespan, that his father's name was Jared, that Enoch was the father of Methuselah and "other sons and daughters" (v. 22), and that he "walked with God." Then the Genesis author adds this unusual comment: "then he was no more, because God took him."
The much later writer of the book of Hebrews interprets that this way: "By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and 'he was not found, because God had taken him.' For it was attested before he was taken away that 'he had pleased God'" (Hebrews 11:5). That may well be what the Genesis author intended.
In contrast, an old rabbinic source says, "Enoch was a righteous man, but he could easily be swayed to return to do evil. Therefore, the Holy One ... hastened and took him away and caused him to die before his time."
However, it's also possible that the Genesis comment was an interpretation of the fact that Enoch disappeared and that his body was never found. His loved ones may have found comfort in the belief that God took him.
There is an essential unfairness to the Enoch story, in that other patriarchs live incredibly long lives and Enoch, though long-lived by our standards, seems to have his sojourn cut short in a mysterious manner that implies in a sense that he is missing. He is nevertheless considered blessed and especially favored by God.
Questions: Is the idea that God "took" a loved one a source of comfort when we cannot understand or explain the disappearance or death of that person? Why or why not? Is there a sense that God "takes" each person's life when that person dies? If so, what does that mean?
Certainly it seems as if most of the people involved in that fateful flight do not deserve what may have happened to them. What special blessings do you pray for the missing and their loved ones? Is it appropriate, in your opinion, to say that "God took them" as God took Enoch? What would you say to family members who might ask, "Why me?"
Psalm 139:7-12
Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,"
even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you. (For context, read 139:1-18.)
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (For context, read 8:31-39.)
Here are two powerful biblical testimonies -- one from each testament -- that nothing, not even our being among the missing as far as humankind is concerned, can remove us from God's sight.
Questions: In what circumstances do you find these verses comforting? Why? In what circumstances do you find them worrisome? Why? Are you, or were you, prepared to hear these words at the time of a great loss? Would it be appropriate to read them to someone who is grieving over the mystery of loss? In what ways is it possible to "grow into" these sorts of Scriptures as we come to grips with loss?
Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. (For context, read 10:26-31.)
These verses remind us that not even one human life, which may seem "small" (not to that person's loved ones but in the whole scheme of things) falls to the earth without the awareness and concern of our heavenly Father. In the case of the people on board Flight 370, they may have literally fallen to the ground. Jesus' words above remind us that even a disastrous end does not indicate that God doesn't care for them."
Question: Why does God value us so highly?
Ezekiel 37:13-14
And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD. (For context, read 37:1-14.)
These are the concluding words in Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones, a vision intended to convey that God would create new life in dead Israel (see v. 11).
Questions: What is the larger message of this vision? How might it apply to those who are missing? Do you find it comforting, or even possible, during times of grief to live by faith with the aid of these words?
Luke 15:4-6
Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." (For context, read 15:1-7.)
This parable from Jesus, like the other two also included in Luke 15 -- the lost coin (vv. 8-10) and the lost son (vv. 11-32) -- emphasizes the joy when one who is lost is found. Admittedly, the lostness in these three stories refers to a spiritual condition rather than a physical one, but Jesus uses physical lostness to illustrate that spiritual concept and the joy of finding one who has been missing to illustrate God's joy when we are spiritually found.
Note too, that in the lost sheep and lost coin parables, the shepherd and the woman, respectively, as stand-ins for God, actually go looking for that which is lost. And while the father in the prodigal son parable hasn't organized search parties, he does see his son while the young man is "still far off" (v. 20), suggesting that the father has been watching the road for his son's possible return.
Questions: What do these parables suggest about God and the missing? The parable speaks of the Good Shepherd leaving the other 99 sheep while looking for the lost sheep. While the energies of the nations searching are taken up by this event and our emotional energy is focused on it, are we wrong in not thinking of the other "99" news stories, concerns, crises that are going on during this time? Are you able to think about other news stories or do you think you (or the news stations) are becoming addicted to the mystery surrounding this event? Are you aware of other things that might be neglected because of the compassionate focus on this mystery?
For Further Discussion
1. View the story at 60 Years Post Disaster, Still No Answers, in which a woman whose father disappeared 63 years ago when a flight vanished talks about how hard it is to deal with, and discuss your reactions.
2. Read the story of the 1948 Los Gatos flight that inspired the Woody Guthrie song "Deportee." Listen to the song, sung by Woody's son Arlo, or read the lyrics. Then discuss your reactions.
3. Recall the movie Castaway, in which Tom Hanks' character is missing for seven years and returns only to find that his girlfriend has married and has a child. Although life literally stopped for him, the rest of the world moved on. The movie ends with Hanks' character trying to begin anew to find happiness in relationship with others despite the loss of the "love of his life" and what could have been. At times, the waiting for Christ's kingdom feels a bit like the girlfriend's wait. Unlike her character, we have the advantage of knowing that Christ will return; however, we struggle to keep the faith as we move through this life. How do we deal with waiting as part of the faith journey?
4. When have you experienced a time when a loved one was "missing in action"? Did that individual eventually show up? Have you ever been the one who was out of contact with folks worried about you? Were you surprised, humbled, startled, pleased, annoyed at the reactions of others?
5. This lost-jet story seems to change by the hour. As you share some of what you have recently heard, role-play how you would feel as a family member wishing to know something about the fate of your loved ones. Is the frustration of many of the family members justified? Does the unknowing add to the sense of horror or despair? Is it possible to take any comfort at all in the thought that God knows what has happened, even though, despite concerted efforts, relatively little is known at the time of this writing?
Responding to the News
This is a time for prayer for those on Flight 370 and their loved ones. It's also a good time to reach out to friends and acquaintances who have missing loved ones.
Closing Prayer
No comments:
Post a Comment