Today, my column feels a bit different, a bit reflective, a bit sermonic. To God be the glory! It took a sermon by my pastor to inspire me to write this piece. My pastor, Pastor Ayokunle Ajayi of the RCCG Cornerstone, (My Father’s House), pouring out his soul on Thanksgiving Sunday, praising God as our Rock and security, thanking God and drawing reference from the Air India tragedy that shook the world on June 12, took 260 lives and spared one soul. Only one.
As a believer in the “journalism of evangelism” which readers of this column know me for, the mission of Press Clips is not just about reporting facts, but about thinking deeply and writing from the pulpit of the heart. Now, let me take you back to the sad event that really hit us all: the terrible Air India disaster of June 12. When we saw the video of the plane coming down, then suddenly crashing into buildings and exploding into a mighty conflagration, our hearts just sank. But even in that deep sadness, we saw some really important truths, clear signs of how fragile life is and how there’s a power much bigger than us.
What life is all about, something we often don’t think about, became super clear in those awful moments. Imagine those passengers, excited to go home or start a new adventure. Many were just doing normal things – taking selfies, sending quick texts, sharing their trip with family and friends. Their smiles in those photos were happy and innocent, they had no idea what was coming. They were sending out love and everyday updates, not knowing that in just a moment, everything would change forever. This, my dear reader, is the scary truth about how short our time here can be. We make plans, we work hard, we love, we live, often thinking we have forever. But then, life suddenly reminds us that every single moment is a gift, every breath a special chance. What a tragic story! A total of 260 travelers, men and women, old and young, children and babies, the two pilots and the beautiful air hostesses. They all met their doomsday, unprepared for this sad, sad, colossal horror story. This Armageddon!
But then, a story came out of the crash that just didn’t make sense, a story that shone a bright light through all the sadness. In the middle of all that hopelessness, and that terrible loss, one man walked out. He was safe. He was sound. He wasn’t even hurt. How? Was it a miracle? When everything around him was destroyed, when it seemed impossible for anyone to live, one person was saved. Can we really say this was just by chance? Just luck? I truly believe that this was no accident. This was clearly God at work. This was God’s special plan, showing us His mysterious ways that we can’t fully understand. Why him? Why then? We might never completely get God’s big picture, but we can certainly be amazed by it. This one survivor is like a living lesson, a walking miracle. He reminds us that even in the toughest times, God has a plan, a purpose we can’t always see. He shows us that God can, and does, step in to help people, often in ways that make us realize how small our own understanding is.
So, what can we learn, deep down, from this terrible event?
First, live for today. Those people taking selfies remind us that life can be very short. Are we living each day like it’s our last? Are we saying ‘I love you,’ ‘I’m sorry,’ or ‘thank you’ when we should? Are we fixing problems with others, making up, and living by what we truly believe is important? No one is promised tomorrow.
Second, God’s mysterious plan. The one person who survived makes us realize there’s a power we can’t control, a God who has a plan that we might not understand, but it’s always perfect. It tells us to trust, even when things don’t make sense, and to find peace knowing that every life, every moment, is safe in the hands of a loving God.
Third, the strength of caring and coming together. After the crash, we saw people at their very best. This tells us to be kind, to help those who are hurting, and to build communities where love and support are strong. We don’t have to go through life alone.
My friends, the Air Indian disaster is much more than just a news story; it’s a powerful lesson that will stay with us forever. It asks us to look inside ourselves, to think about what’s truly important, and to feel closer to God. May we remember those who were lost and let their memory push us to live life to the fullest, love with all our hearts, and walk humbly with God, always remembering how precious and short life truly is.
Let me end with what Pastor Ayokunle Ajayi told his congregation: “I was watching a video of one of those in that ill-fated Air India flight. When he was about leaving the departure lounge and part from his wife and son—I am sure some of you saw that video—the son refused to allow his father to go. They did everything to stop him but he would escape and run after his father. It was as if the boy knew that was the last time he would be seeing his father. A young boy. A toddler. If the father had any intuition, he could have said: ‘This boy has never behaved like this before. Let me not go on this flight.’ But he just thought it was just an ordinary flight. The whole family was there. They were taking selfies. Sending it to their loved ones. Just like any of you would do. What should have been an ordinary flight turned extraordinary. And there was no return.”
The man of God continued: “It’s only God that has been there for us. That’s why we are here this morning to appreciate this God. The surgery that you did, others did it, they didn’t come back to life. You know when they give this anesthesia, some people don’t come back. Just like that, they refuse to wake up again after the surgery. Just think about it. If it had not been the Lord who had been on our side.”
The Air India story is not over yet. The preliminary report on the air disaster takes the tragedy into a frightening, perplexing new dimension: A mysterious person or an evil force cut off the fuel just as the plane was heading for the sky. The cockpit voice recorder captured an argument between the two pilots:
“Why did you cut off the fuel?” one pilot asked agitatedly.
“I did not do so,” the other pilot replied.
So whodunit? The big question is who did it? The answer, my friend, is buried in the shattered graveyard of the mangled, fatal Boeing plane and its innocent, helpless passengers.
