Faith,  Life and Whatnot

MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON


Was it really a miracle?

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The dictionary defines a miracle as: “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency”

Was the cool-headed pilot’s skills the reason for the safe landing? It’s plausible.

I’ve watched many new broadcasts explain this situation as a miracle, but last week, when my pastor suggested it wasn’t, I almost fell out of my pew.

Ok, we don’t really sit in pews at my church, more like theater chairs in an auditorium that seats 3,000 people, so….when my pastor suggested it wasn’t a miracle as the press suggested, I was surprised.

But then he went on to mention the fact that someone pulled out enough food to feed five thousand hungry people from just five loaves of bread and two fish. Is that explicable by natural or scientific laws?….Not so much.

After looking at the dictionary’s definition, I guess the pilot’s safe landing could be explained by natural and scientific laws, right? His skill and knowledge of how to do a water landing are what saved those people. Not a miracle.

What do you think?

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So, in your opinion, what do you consider a miracle? Was the Hudson River landing one?

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4 Comments

  • gzusfreek

    I love this story, Lynn and I don’t know if I ever thought about it being a miracle. But you make good points here.
    I waited with baded breath for that interview with Katie C. I think most of us are drawn to this story because it has a happy ending to what could have been a great tragedy. That’s why we read most books, right? To see “outrageous circumstances” handled gracefully by ordinary people.
    I think we are all drawn to Sully because we hope and pray that the our pilot/bus driver/guy in the car next to us is half as trained and level headed as he is. And we hope that if we are ever in a extreme situation, that we will remain calm and react as Sully did.
    Okay. I had a lot to say on that – oops! I digress.
    So sorry, LYNN, but I awarded you an Honest Scrap Award! Have you seen the mess over at gzusfreek.blogspot.com?

  • Lynn Rush

    Rosslyn–You’re right. This was one of those mercies, indeed.
    Billy–Angels..you betchya.

    Did you guys see the interview with the pilot? Katie Curic asked him if he prayed. He said he didn’t have time, but he was sure most of the passengers were taking care of that for him. He said one other thing that caught my attention as well.

    He said that all his training, experience, everything was in preparation for this one experience. I mean, somone that experienced on that very plane during that very crisis….Now that’s a God thing!

  • Rosslyn

    Hi!

    I think your pastor is right and that it’s not technically a miracle. However, there are plenty of things that happen on a regular basis that don’t defy the laws of nature, and yet still demonstrate God’s mercy and providence for us. To me, this is one of those wonderful mercies.