Sean Major-Campbell | Praying before a flight

WHO ELSE prays before and maybe during a flight? Praying before a flight for me is not only a faith response; it also has psychological value in that it makes for a more relaxed state of mind. What happens though when flights are delayed, unnerving, and cancelled?

Now, there is no empirical evidence that prayer makes a difference to what happens to a plane on the ground or in the air. Nor is there any evidence that prayer is useless. When I pray, I seek God’s will, whatever that might be. I also pray for calm and wisdom in whatever circumstances we might find ourselves.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

Recently I was aboard a JetBlue plane scheduled for departure to Fort Lauderdale. After taxiing in preparation for takeoff, the plane started to make some strange sounds. The pilot announced that we would have a delay while checking on the issue. He eventually announced a return to the gates for further mechanical checks. After some time, we were invited to deplane. Throughout this experience which airlines have every day, I was reminded of that saying, “Better safe than sorry”.

A disappointment for passengers was the nature of the announcements thereafter. They were often not coherent. You knew that the reader was only regurgitating what sounded like a generic presentation. Anyway, the flight was “delayed” until 5:48 p.m. Some of us noticed that the plane was being towed to another location, which immediately gave us the impression that the flight was no longer on. However, we did get assurances that it would be leaving at 5:48 p.m. It was not quite unexpected when we heard that the flight would not happen on that day.

MY SPIRIT SANK

When I left the airport later that evening, it was with the understanding that I would be on a late afternoon flight the next day. That soon changed when later that evening I got a call to say that I would be on the morning flight. My spirit sank since I had a feeling it was going to be a repeat of the same plane.

Next morning, we therefore did the drill. After taxiing, the same plane started to groan again just prior to the anticipated takeoff. My thoughts included stuff like, ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me’. I also thought of, ‘We are twice armed if we fight with faith’. Now faith for me does not mean that I start preaching on the plane or that I start to scream out prayers. Instead, it empowers my will for advocacy; and my resolve to beware of groupthink. It is so common for people to subconsciously remain silent in a group when no one else is ‘disturbing’ the status quo.

I share this story to encourage individuals to own their positions which seek the wellbeing of all concerned in each situation. It did not feel right for me to remain silent. I unbuckled my seatbelt, I stood, I then declared to fellow passengers, “I do not know about anyone else, but I do not intend to leave on this plane today. Is there anyone else who shares this view? If we are standing, the plane will not fly with us doing so.”

PASSENGERS STANDING

It was music to my ears as I heard seat belts unbuckled and saw passengers standing. At this point, crew members came down into the fuselage and then the pilot announced that we would return to the gates. Maybe that would have happened. But I was sure that whether it was going to happen or not, I no longer wished to be on that plane. And I would have been okay with security removing me from the plane.

To their credit, JetBlue provided accommodation, meals, and ground transportation. Unfortunately, communication was consistently poor. If you did not speak up and ask questions, there was a strong chance that you would be on your own. One got a sense that customer service reps were at a loss for timely information. Anyway, the flight arrived on the evening of the third day.

VOICE FOR CHANGE

We do not have to be violent and abusive to shift gears into the voice of advocacy. We just need to be willing to be a voice for change. It is not just prayer alone. Prayer and work conquer all. Some also put it this way, “With God in the vessel, I can smile at the storm.”

Just remember you may have faith without imposing your beliefs, preaching and prayers on others.

In closing, let us pray with those who travel this day and otherwise. We pray that they be at peace. We pray for those who remain silent when they should speak; that they may have courage to actively seek change. May we also empower our children to speak out and to be whistle-blowers for change.

The New York Times best-selling author, Orrin Woodward is indeed instructive in his wisdom: “Courage results when one’s convictions are bigger than one’s fears.”

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human dignity and human rights. Send feedback to seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com or columns@gleanerjm.com