Who is a Hero?

 By Christina, Taiwan

On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. What happened subsequently has forever changed the lives of everyone involved.

Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, a devoted Christian, was the captain of Flight 1549. When this Airbus A320 took, off everything was fine until the plane struck a flock of 248 birds. Some of the birds were sucked into the engines, causing both engines to fail. As the plane was losing altitude, Sully and his copilot Jeff Skiles had only seconds to make a decisive decision to save all 155 passengers on board, including a baby.

They concluded they wouldn’t be able to make it in time to land at any airport, and they decided to try crash landing on the Hudson River! It was a scary endeavor, but with their skills and the cooperation of all the crew members and passengers on board, Sully landed the plane safely. Still, they were far from safety, as it was freezing weather. Blocks of ice had been spotted in the river the day before. Though all the passengers had made it outside of the plane, without immediate rescue, they could freeze to death in a few minutes.

God was with them, and two New York Waterway ferries were nearby. Captain Vincent Peter Lombardi of one of these vessels, a devoted Catholic, came to their rescue within minutes! They had also made a call for help to other vessels and the fire department. In the end, all 155 passengers survived the ordeal!

After this incident, Sully was hailed as a hero. However, Sully has commented, “We all have heard about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations. They act courageously or responsibly, and their efforts are described as if they opted to act that way on the spur of the moment... I believe many people in those situations actually have made those decisions years before.”1

He told CBS News, “One way of looking at this might be that, for 42 years, I’ve been making small regular deposits in this bank of experience, education, and training, and on January 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”

Jesus has admonished His followers to do the same with life. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:23).

It behooves me to take the Lord’s training in my life diligently. If I learn how to make correct decisions according to His will moment by moment, perhaps with all the experience I’ve gathered, one day in an emergency, I’ll be able to make a large withdrawal as well.

Since a plane was lost, Sully and Jeff had to endure months of investigation and criticism from some as to whether his action was necessary and the best decision. In the end he was vindicated, thank God! The crew members, the passengers, and Sully have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but by and by they’ve been able to get back to normal life. Due to Sully’s humility and sacrificial spirit in saving 155 lives, he has received numerous honors, and he was appointed to be US Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2021.

In the movie about the incident, when he was asked if he’s a hero, Sully answered, “It wasn’t just me, it was all of us. Jeff, Donna, Sheila, Doreen (plane crew members). The passengers, rescue workers. Air traffic control, ferry boat crews and scuba cops. We all did it. We survived.”2

This also is an example of other biblical counsel: “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble” (1 Peter 3:8). “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10). During this life-and-death emergency, it was only when they all worked together, with God’s help, that they were rescued.

We have all felt the weight of the pandemic the last few years, and God knows what more world events are awaiting us. But if we rely on God, establish a personal link with Him, obey His leading, are faithful in the lessons He’s teaching us, and cooperate with other like-minded people, the Lord will help us through any difficulties we’re facing till we reach our heavenly destination. God bless and keep you!