Eastern Airlines Flight 101, operating with a four-month-old Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar, carrying 163 passengers and 13 crew members, left New York’s JFK Airport on Friday, December 29, 1972, at 9:20 p.m., for a non-stop flight to Miami International Airport. No one could have guessed that within three hours many of them would be dead. The flight was routine until 11:32 p.m., when the airliner began its approach into Miami International. After lowering the landing gear, first officer Albert Stockstill noticed the green light that verified that the landing gear was properly locked in the “down” position was not illuminated. The plane pulled out of its approach and flew west in a wide loop over the darkness of the Everglades while the crew worked to verify the landing gear was down. Before long the pilot, co-pilot, flight-engineer and head flight attendant were all engaged in trying to remove the cover of the tiny bulb. Meanwhile, no one noticed that as they all feverishly concentrated on the bulb, the plane was slowly and imperceptibly descending. By the time someone did, it was too late. The jetliner plowed into the ground at 287 miles per hour,18.7 miles from the end of Runway Nine Left (9L) in Miami. Ninety-nine of the 163 souls onboard died in the crash, and a few others later from injuries. Think about it — an aircraft costing millions of dollars, a high-paid, skilled, professional crew, and a majority of the passengers on board that night was lost in the crash. A modern, complex, well-equipped airliner with a highly trained, knowledgeable, able crew — and it flew straight into a Florida swamp while the people who were supposed to be flying it struggled to remove a 75-cent light bulb. That small distraction proved deadly.
Let us observe a vital take home point — spiritual distractions can prove deadly to the soul. Through the ages, down to this very fast-paced, multitasking, distracted one we live in, the Bible has urged anyone willing to listen of the need for fixed, focused, intentional attention when it comes to spiritual health and the safety of our souls. Two thousand years ago the apostle Paul saw fit to remind Christians at ancient Colosse to make sure they were making the main thing the main thing. Listen to his plea in Colossians 3:1-2: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Paul is clear that genuine Christian discipleship demands a fixed focus on Christ along with a steadfast commitment to “seek those things which are above.” The phrase “things which are above” in this passage is not a spatial metaphor. Paul is talking about the values and priorities that dominate our lives to the point they control what we do with the bulk of our time, talent, and treasure. Josh Billings said, “Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there.” Christian don’t crash before you land safely to be with Christ. Danger threatens if you become distracted with lesser things here on earth.
By: Dan Gulley, Smithville TN